Have Chrome, Will Travel
by Deadlandmarshal
Summary: Albus Dumbledore has been looking for his young charge for a long time, he is being assaulted on all sides by those who are looking for the young man he lost so long ago. He has taken a final desperate gamble with the coming of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, he wanted Harry Potter… the Chrome Wizard has come! Betaed by the amazing pazed!
1. Chapter 1

This is what came to me recently and I have been fooling around with it for a bit. So here is the first Chapter, It may be a little slower to come out, as my first story still has a ways to go.

**I own Nothing!**

**Read! Review! Enjoy!**

**edited by pazed! **

**Thank You!**

Chapter 1

A lot of names had been given to the man sitting by the fire, feet raised sipping a cup of tea - and all of them fit. He was an old soul and had walked the earth for generations, a quiet man by any estimation, quick of wit, slow to anger. All of that was reflected in his face, round with lively blue eyes, laugh lines marking him as one that smiled and laughed often.

Many a night he had cheerfully sat, here in his favorite chair, and gone about his work till the early morning hours, much to the chagrin of his lovely bride. Those nights were the ones that stirred his old soul the most, the nights that fueled him, the nights that sustained him.

This was not one of those nights, oh tonight had started well enough, but it had changed. It had changed drastically in only the smallest of moments, the moments it had taken to read one letter, scrawled in a shaking hand, unsure and tentative. The page wrinkled where tears had fallen and marked it, smearing some of the letters.

This lone letter had changed his evening, and now he sat lost in his own thoughts, the page lying neatly folded on the small table at the side of his chair upon a stack of its now forgotten brethren. As he stared into the fire, thinking, planning and reworking the thoughts stormed about in his mind.

You see out in the world there is magic, it touches each and every life in some way. This man knows knew the ways of magic all too well, he and his family used it, depended on it, it is was part of their life's blood as much as air is to anyone. It sustained them, provided for them, and gave them the ageless life they lived.

_But_, such gifts come with a price, and limitations. The price of their immortality and power is,was _belief_. Many of his brothers and sisters had been lost to this, they refused to change, remained as they were, and were forgotten, slowly dwindling until they disappeared. Those that remained, banded together, pooled their resources, and found new ways to survive.

His way was one of the first. He gave up a section of his time and began to do small things, and slowly the legends grew. More and more areas began to know the story. Then a few short decades ago, lightning struck, a huge upswing in his life began allowing him to move forward. He was now one of the most powerful of his brethren, but unlike some, it was not only out of survival that he did these things. It was more for the profound sense of peace that it had brought to his life. It had allowed him to find love with his bride, purpose, and honor. It had become his— - their, he reminded himself, reason for living.

Yes he was now known around the planet by many names, Pare Noel, Father Christmas, St. Nicolas, but one had a special place in his heart. It had catapulted him to an iconic standard even in the far east, Santa Clause. One letter written by a lone small child had brought all of his thoughts of a Happy Christmas to a halt.

Unknown to most, all of the letters of those that truly believe, those that hold the spirit of the season in their heart, those are answered by him. He is able to see their lives in the letters, the good and the bad. To some he will would pass on a gift, to some, he will pass on something to inspire them, or to help them to do better. Oh, parents may remember picking that up, or wasn't that nice of whomever, but that did not matter; as long as the stories were told he and his would be here.

But that was also the limitation of his power, he must be asked. He need not answer, or do so in the way requested, but the believer must ask, and on this particular night he had opened an unassuming letter addressed to Father Christmas, written so poorly he was sure that magic itself had seen to its delivery, never mind the hand drawn stamp with a small tree crudely drawn in the center.

When he had read the first line he had been assaulted by flashes of the child's life, a nice home but cold, no warmth from a family for him, a small closet used for his room, him straining to listen at the vent as the family laughed in the living room around the television. On and on they the flashes came, neglect, abuse, servitude, more and more compounded upon him by those he had been sent to after his parents' death, till finally it was done. A tear rolled down his face as he thought back to the young man's request.

Dear Santa,

I know that you are busy this time of year. I try to be good. I really do. My teacher told us that if we are good and write a letter to you and believe with all our heart our wish will come true,

Will you please make my wish come true? I want to be with my parents. Please?

Thank You,

Harry

It was a request made with all the power of the young man's heart, one that he had heard many times in his travels but had been powerless to grant. This time something was different, magic itself had decided that he would be the one to lend a hand.

But how? As the young man's parents had perished, he would not, could not, answer the way he felt the young man had wished, to join them in the afterlife. No, the possibilities that lay before one of such a young age were boundless and a he would not see the potential in the heart he saw gone from this world. So he sat and pondered, he could not bring him the child to his home for he was mortal and being in a realm of the Underhill, no matter the benevolence of the ruler, could be fraught with dangers and the area where his section of Underhill was connected to mortal realm was inhospitable, so keeping him close was also impossible.

Slowly a smile grew on his bearded face, he knew just the place for such a boy to grow into a man. He would be fiercely protected, taught the ways of magic and mundane, be a proud and noble person, one he would be proud to call friend. Yes that would be the perfect place for him. Gathering himself up, he wrote a quick note for his wife and walked through the center of the small town his family called home to a large stone circle that stood on its end like a door to a solid wall, on its side several runic clusters. Selecting one he applied his magic to it, the void in the center shimmered and he stepped through.


	2. Chapter 2

**I own Nothing!**

**Read! Review! Enjoy!**

**edited by pazed! **

**Thank You!**

Chapter 2

The years had passed Albus Dumbledore in a blur, it started on Christmas morning several years ago when the monitoring devices he used to keep track of his young charge each burst into fine silver dust. Upon this discovery he had visited the home he had placed young Harry in a scant five years before, there he found a young family just sitting down to unwrap presents in the early morning hours.

The father's name was Vernon, a large man, but not in a healthy way, no he was short, mostly bald, and very wide. While his wife was a slight woman matching him in height, with a long drawn face that somehow reminded him of a horse. Then there was their son Dudley, where they had found that name he did not know; he was short and growing large much like his father.

"Good morning, I need to speak to you about your nephew," he said standing in the doorway, in his finest muggle attire.

"And who would you be?" said the horse faced woman, Petunia he reminded himself.

"I am Albus Dumbledore, I am headmaster at the school that your sister attended," he said in his grandfatherly tone, his blue eyes twinkling in the morning sun.

"Oh, so you are one of those freaks!" came the surly voice of Vernon. "Get away, we want nothing to do with your kind. It was bad enough that you left that brat here!" he said barging toward the door.

"He is the reason I am here!" he said, not liking one bit what he was hearing. "Is he here? May I speak with him, please?"

"He's not here! He was gone when we got up this morning, and I say good riddance! I'll not have any more of his freakishness in this house!" Slamming his foot down for emphasis, the man declared, "He made the choice, this is no longer his home!"

The door swung shut with a bang, leaving a much bewildered headmaster standing on the front step. From that day he had looked for the young man. During the school breaks he traveled, using any and all information he could find through the other positions he held in the wizarding world, as Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. Both of which he had only held onto with the barest of margins of recent date because of the increasing demand for answers he did not have.

No he had become increasingly more frantic to find the boy in recent years. Questions began in earnest four years before when Harry did not arrive to begin his schooling at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Many of the families had known the Potters and Harry's age, and as he was seen as an icon, being the only known survivor of the killing curse and the vanquisher of Lord Voldemort, one of the most feared Dark Lords, so he was expected.

Albus had put their fears to rest, saying that he was being trained away from the spotlight as would be his parents' wish, and he would return to them at a later year. Meanwhile he searched on, and distracted by his search he had made a series of poor decisions, and costly oversights.

Early in the year that Harry should have begun Hogwarts, on Halloween, the professor of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class announced to the school that a troll, a 13 foot grey skinned mountain of spell resistant destruction, had entered the castle. Before it was over a young girl had been seriously injured. Just how seriously was never revealed to her or her parents, only he and the Matron of the hospital wing knew, though he thought that was working out well. After a long talk with her she had been re-sorted into a new house at the school and seemed much happier.

The first crisis of the year had been averted, the next… Well it had been a serious lack of judgment to try and hide such a valuable artifact in a school. He had been asked to oversee the protection of an old friend's most valued possession, the Philosophers Stone, a stone having properties used at the highest levels of Alchemy. While the changing of lead to gold was both too expensive and time consuming to be worth doing, its other primary use was one many would give everything for, the Elixir of Life.

The Elixir could extend one's life indefinitely, heal the greatest of injuries, even return life to those that were the smallest of hairs from death. But, unknown to most, unless the stone had been created by the person, or in this case couple, that used it, it could only heal you once. As it had the young student that All Hallows Eve.

At the end of the year an attempt had been made to steal the artifact, luckily he had managed to delay the thief long enough with the final obstacle to arrive and thwart him. It had been a possessed professor, someone he had once called a friend and colleague. Looking back at it he could see the oddities in the way he behaved, but he had overlooked them to his shame. The night had ended in the friend's death as the spirit form of Lord Voldemort had fled, leaving the man drained of his magic and dying on the floor of the room. It had led to a small investigation, nothing of consequence, as it appeared that the man's heart had just given out, but now Albus knew the truth. Voldemort had survived, although in a horrible state. The search for his charge was even more important.

The next year could have been the most dangerous of any since the war's end, but they had been exceptionally lucky. A young girl from a family he knew well had somehow obtained a journal that was enchanted with the darkest of magic. If she had not come from such a close family, and had she not heeded her father's advice about magical artifacts that seem… alive, things could have ended in tragedy - as it was the object had been safely gathered, warded and stored away, Albus had promised himself he would look more closely into it when he had found his young charge.

Then last year things had come to a head, the man that he and others believed had betrayed the Potters had escaped Azkaban, the wizard prison. This led to a nation-wide manhunt that even included muggle resources, as they had been alerted to the escape by the Minister for Magic.

This had led to massive problems for the Headmaster. Dementors, the spectral visions of death that guarded the prison were used to hunt the man. They had even boarded the train on its way to the school, leaving the majority of those on board in a sorry, frightened state (he shuddered to think what may have happened if Remus Lupin, the man he had asked to take the Defense against the Dark Arts professorship, had not been on board). Then the Dementors had been stationed around the school to keep Sirius Black, the escapee, out. This had also proved to be a near disaster, fortunately thwarted.

As it turned out, Black did make his way to the school, and after a few attempts, was able to capture the true betrayer of the Potters, presenting him to Albus and the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Madam Bones, after calling her himself from the barricaded office of the Deputy Headmistress. The real traitor, Peter Pettigrew, was proven to be an illegal shape shifter, an Animagus; he later escaped before they could transport him to DMLE headquarters.

Lupin had been a close friend of the Potters and Blacks and had been asked to teach both because he was a potential target and for his talents as a professor. Sadly by the end of the year Albus could no longer keep him on, as the fact that he was also a werewolf was made public. The two old friends had been rejoined and their thoughts soon turned to Harry.

As soon as Sirius was exonerated at his trial, a mere formality as Madam Bones had said they all three had turned up on Albus's doorstep demanding answers. Albus ended up with an aching jaw, courtesy of Sirius, after saying he had left Harry at the Dursley home, and a slap and ringing ears from Madam Bones for the way he had done it. As for Lupin, he walked away, the beast inside him was far too close to the surface; if it had not been for years of training his self-control Dumbledore would have been dead at his feet.

The realization that the sister of Harry's mother Lily hated her was a bitter pill to swallow for Albus, he just could not understand the hate that Sirius told him of and that Petunia and Vernon were capable of toward their own family, their own blood.

Albus explained that he did what he felt was best, as there was no will found, he had to do something and he felt that it was best that Harry be placed with family. Then he used ancient Blood Wards he had tied to Petunia and Harry so that the boy would be safe there and the blood of his mother's family would protect him, hiding him away while their world healed.

At this Sirius scoffed, then produced the will. He had had a copy safe in his vault at Gringotts, just as the Potters had, and he would have produced it along with the evidence of the betrayal by Peter if he had ever been given a trial. Thus began the downward spiral of Dumbledore's popularity once Sirius had taken over the powerful Black family fortune.

After that they had gone separate ways, Sirius and Remus with Madam Bones' help, began their own search, and Albus started to formulate a new plan. One that led him to this day.

This year an old tradition was being reintroduced, one not seen for many years, the Tri-Wizard Championship, a contest between the greatest schools in Europe for honor and glory, for the right to claim having the strongest, bravest, smartest of the new generation come from their halls.

The contestants were to be chosen by a magical artifact, the Tri-Wizard Cup, a semi-intelligent artifact of amazing design. Albus had it housed in his office prior to its being placed in the Great Hall at Hogwarts, giving him months to study it and formulate his plan.

The night before the choosing ceremony, he went to work on the then lit, therefore active, Cup. Working quickly he soon placed into it an enchanted note with a lone name. The next day names were drawn from the cup:

Cedric Diggory: Hogwarts, Hufflepuff House

Victor Krum: Durmstrang Institute

Fleur Delacour: Beauxbatons Academy of Magic

Then a fourth name fluttered down after the cup sputtered a final time.

Harry Potter

The room had gone silent, people looking around trying to find the wizard hero. To their disappointment he could not be found.

Once the news was in the paper things took on a life of their own, speculation ran rampant, and meanwhile a small group gave a large piece of their minds to an old man leaving no doubt if they found out that this was his doing there would be hell to pay.

So here he sat on the morning of the first task, completely unsure of what to do. No sign of the boy had been found, all he could do was hope the way he had interpreted the Cup's contract was to be fulfilled was correct. Nervous, he made his way to the area that had been planned for the first event.


	3. Chapter 3

**I own Nothing!**

**Read! Review! Enjoy!**

**edited by pazed! **

**Thank You!**

**Chapter 3**

Arriving for everything a little late had once been an Albus Dumbledore trademark, it had allowed him the chance to survey the room and make a grand dramatic entrance. Today, however, it was a delay, anything to give himself more time rather than face the looming problem... still no Harry Potter.

He had stopped to triple check the preparations, arrangements for the special guests, even looked in on the food preparation for the feast to follow the event. Even as he approached the champions' tent he would stop to speak with just about anyone, _are you having a good day? How is the view? It has been a long time_. Finally there could be no more delays, because he was here at the opening of the champions' tent, inside he could hear the loud whispers of the other headmasters and the contestants.

When he heard the voice of Bartemius "Barty" Crouch Sr. he knew he could delay no longer, "Where is he? We are already behind by almost a half an hour."

He stepped into the tent with a flourish, a fake smile on his face and a forced lightness in his voice. "I am here Bartemius, no need to worry. Now if the champions will gather we can begin."

Scowling at the man, Barty pulled him sharply aside and whispered urgently in his ear, "Where is Potter? You said that he would be here!"

"Have no fears! I am sure he will be along shortly." Turning he addressed the others in the room. "Now, let us begin!"

Albus was not listening as Barty gave his explanation of the event, he just stood and fretted. Only when the delicate hand of the champion from Beauxbatons reached toward the satchel Barty held before him did he snap himself from his stupor.

He watched as her hand slid into the depths of the bag…

The ground shook, knocking them all from their feet, thunder ripped through the air as a flash of lightning blinded them. Again and again it happened, the ground jumped once again and fire erupted from the tent, half flash blind and with his ears ringing Albus pulled out his wand and began casting spells, soon to be followed by the other headmasters. The fires were quickly doused, and the trio of headmasters began following the trail of scorched earth and destruction that left from the tent and ran toward the arena.

Light flashed, blinding him, he blinked fiercely trying in vain to clear his sight. Then he felt himself pitch forward, twisting to the right. He did the only thing he could do, the thing he had been trained to do from his first days of training, he tucked his chin crossed his arms and prayed. He was bounced, twisted and tossed, and when he came to rest he could not even tell which way was up. Pain raced through his back and shoulders, his vision swam, all he could think was 'anything you can walk away from…'

Flashes of light and thunder erupted from the Champions' Tent, all of the heads in the crowd snapped to the side, unknowing of what to expect. A white and red blur exploded from the tent trailing light, thunder and fire. It roared toward the arena at amazing speed, the growl coming from it reaching a fever pitch. It clipped the edge of the wall surrounding the arena and abruptly began a spin to the left, the front catching in one of the deep crevices crisscrossing the floor to pitch it forward, pirouetting on the front corner before beginning to roll. It rolled so quickly few knew the number of times before it came to a stop in a pile of screaming torn metal a rain of parts and steam, smoke, and flame.

No one in the crowd reacted, they sat transfixed at the sight, a muggle vehicle, one of those non-wizard contraptions, had invaded the première magic school of all England and sat in a smoking and burning heap at the center of the arena. Soon something covering the right side window fell away and a person dressed in some form of odd helmet and clothing pushed his way out, half climbing and half falling.

He stood, stumbling, clawing at something under the chin of the helm that was covered with stylized brightly colored flames. Tearing it away and tossing it to the side the figure dropped hard into a sitting position next to a large stone, and lifted his left arm high above his head in some form of gesture. He sat there breathing hard, and using his teeth to pull loose his right glove, one that many thought was a part of his strange looking thick garments.

Slowly he began to look around. Dropping his left arm he began to search with more urgency. Finally looking up into the crowd, that sat in wooden bleachers, behind a wooden wall with large wood towers every so often along the way, bright streamers of blue, silver, gold, and many others falling and flapping in the breeze around the towers.

The people struck him as if they were from another time, they wore robes. Not the ones that one would expect but ones that looked like they belonged in one of the movies his uncle liked so much. He could only sit and stare.

A man watched all of this in stunned silence, as he looked at the young man sitting before him. His hair was black and short, plastered to his head with sweat, but it was his eyes that held Sirius Black, eyes he had not seen in over thirteen years. They were a bright gleaming green, with a slight almond shape... just like his mother's. Next his eyes flickered to the brow just above the right eye, a lightning shaped scar traced down. It was Harry!

Shaking himself he was moving like a flash, arriving at the entrance of the arena just as Albus and the others did. "Albus did you see? That was Harry?"

Following the path they all continued on. "I am sorry my friend, but I did not. There seems to have been quite a show with your godson's arrival, and some of the unintended consequences have kept us quite busy," he said gesturing to the now half burnt tent.

"Hehe... I can see how you could say that," he said after looking over his shoulder.

"You need to remember Sirius," he said looking at the man, not in his grandfatherly tone but in one that commanded respect in the governmental chambers. "This may be Harry, but this may not be the Harry you remember, he has grown up for years away from us. It will take time for him to accept everything, and with him entered in this tournament..."

"I understand that! I know better than anyone what your bumbling stupidity has wrought!" he said rounding on the man. "_DO NOT_ mistake my tone as one of forgiveness, and never take that superior tone with me! This is my godson, I **will** stand beside him from this point on, even if he walks away from this damned tournament, to hell with the consequences!"

"He needs to compete, Sirius, or risk losing his magic."

"He was in a _muggle _auto Albus!" Sirius continued. "Something tells me he'd be just fine." Albus stumbled at that. Catching himself he thought, 'that cannot be, he needs to be here to be taught.' He followed them on to the wreck of an automobile.

Sirius rounded the edge first, looking at the young man. "Ha-Harry?"

He turned his head slowly, the man looking at him nervously stood slightly hunched making him look shorter than he would be standing straight. He had grey heavily at both temples and peppered into his long dark hair elsewhere, a light mustache adorned his face trimmed down at the ends to his jaw. His blue eyes were almost full of tears as he asked the name.

He looked around at the others approaching, one a large woman easily over seven feet, beside her a fair skinned blond woman that looked like a child next to her dressed in blue. An old man wearing half-moon glasses and a long white beard his head topped with a pointed cap right out of a fairy tale book, while following him was a young man with brown hair and slightly bushy eyebrows. The final pair, one looking as if he was a truly unpleasant man, dark and foreboding. At his left was a someone he would describe as a brute, maybe not unintelligent but he had the look of someone that went for the brute force way of doing something.

Looking at all of them he answered. "Um, can I ask something…" He looked around again. "Where am I?"

The old man answered, "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," as if that should answer the question.

He looked at him expectantly, finally the one who had asked _Harry?_ answered. "Scotland, Northern Scotland."

"Oook," he said, then quietly, "So, I'm not in Kansas any more."

The old man spoke again. "Kansas…Is that where you've been... Kansas?"

The young man looked at him oddly then at the others, only the first man had a smile on his face. "No you old fool, that's a line from a muggle movie," he said with a large amount of venom. "It refers to being well and truly lost."

Shaking his head he turned back to Harry. "My name is Sirius Black," he said offering his hand.

Taking it he answered, "I'm Harry. Nice to meet you Mr. Black."

"Oh, Thank Merlin," he said, tears beginning to fall. "I'd almost given up hope of finding you."

An odd look came over the young man's face. "Umm... Riiight..." he said pulling his hand free. "Can anyone tell me why I feel like I've become the Southern boy in King Arthur's Court? If this is OZ, Just tell me how to call a wrecker, and get home."


	4. Chapter 4

**I own Nothing!**

**Read! Review! Enjoy!**

**edited by pazed! **

**Thank You!**

**Chapter 4**

"You are home Harry," responded the old man. "Come along and we'll have you looked over by Madam Pomfrey, our resident healer."

"Albus," said Sirius, under his breath.

"So this is him, the Boy-Who-Lived?" said a man stepping down from the entrance. He was short, rather plain and dressed in dark robes with a matching bowler hat perched upon his head. He had his hand extended as if to shake Harry's hand. "Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, I am very pleased to make your acquaintance after all this time young man. You know how to make an entrance! It is good to see you back. I trust your studies have gone well? Are you prepared for the tournament?"

Harry looked at the man oddly, and shook his hand out of reflex as questions bounced around in his mind, all of them refusing to make any sense of this. "Ummm… Sorry sir. I think you have me confused with someone else."

Walking past the man his eyes landed on his car. "Man, Keighvin is going to have my head." He leaned in the window and after a loud ripping sound pulled a leather bag from inside, and laid it on the roof of the car. "Anyway, can someone point me toward a phone?" He pulled the bag open and pulled out several objects.

Turning, he flipped open a box and pulled out a pair of dark aviator style sunglasses and slipped them on, then grabbed a dark blue baseball cap off the roof, it had a logo that said _Fairgrove_ stitched on the front with a stylized tree making up the F. "Look, I'm sorry that I spoiled your renaissance weekend, help me find a phone and I'll get someone to come deal with my car as soon as I can," he said unzipping the top of his fire suit and pulling it loose to hang at his waist, then tying the arms in the front, showing a powerful build not unlike that of a swimmer. "How close is the nearest town?"

"Harry, I must insist that you get checked over," Albus said.

"Look, I'm alright, just a little stiff and sore. I need a phone," he said looking around again, then yelling out at the crowd "**Can someone tell me where a telephone is?**"

"There is no need to worry about your vehicle, my boy," said Albus, sliding his wand from his robes. With a swish, twirl, and a jab… the car disappeared.

"**_MY CAR! WHAT THE HELL!_** What did you do?" Harry rounded on the man, storming closer. "Do you have any idea what that car is worth? The engine alone was $50,000 it's all aluminum, a prototype, and all the fabrication was by hand! Damn it, it's not even mine! It's Fairgrove property! Where the **_HELL_** is it?" His eyes were staring the old man down.

"It needed to be done, the tournament needs to get underway, so I vanished it. You have your bag therefore your wand. Now come along we need to get you sorted and the First Task underway," said the old man.

"I'm not going anywhere till you tell me where my car is, I'm responsible for the damn thing!" Harry glared at the group.

Sirius let out a long sigh, placing his hand on the young man's shoulder. "It's gone Harry, the headmaster vanished it... it's gone."

In a flash of movement, the headmaster crumpled forward as Harry's fist connected with his stomach. He leaned close and spoke quietly to the man, "When the bill gets to you I hope you choke on it, and I suggest you be ready to pay. That was a prototype, if any of those designs show up elsewhere our lawyers will hang you." As he was lifting his arm for another punch, Sirius grabbed him and pulled him back.

"Now see here young man, I can understand how you may have been attached to your muggle toy, but..." said Fudge.

"**_TOY!_** I can assure you that was no _TOY!_ That was a state of the art Racing Machine! Highly modified and hand built from the ground up. It took months for my team to build! It was worth a fortune!"

"Then why was it in the hands of a _child!"_ a new man sneered, he carried a cane and had blond hair.

"I've been behind the wheel since I was seven. I was on the Cart circuit at eight. Drove my first SERRA sponsored event at ten, moved to the Unlimited class at twelve, next summer I'll start my training in Grand Nationals and run a limited season, at sixteen I'll be able to race for the full season, and if I have my way I'll be sitting in a Winston Cup car soon after my eighteenth birthday. It was in my hands because I am the best driver at Fairgrove! _AND_ I have the trophies to prove it!"

The blond man looked down his nose at the boy, then turned to Dumbledore. "This is the _training_ you had the Boy-Who-Lived doing? Playing at muggle racing? What a joke, the vaunted hero of our world. Plays like a muggle, and fights like a muggle."

"Ok, I've had enough!" yelled the young man. "Stop acting as if you know me. I sure as **_Hell_** don't know any of you! You tell me I'm in Scotland, ok fine. What I want to know is," turning toward Sirius and the old man. "How did I get here? Last thing I knew I was in North Carolina, happily testing my beautiful **_new_** SERRA Unlimited car. You all call me Harry, act as if you expected me and know me. **_WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?_**"

Looking at each person in turn, taking in each shocked expression till he reached Sirius who had a wide grin on his face and was looking at the others as well. "Well?" He stood staring for a number of seconds. Then turned and said, "On second thought, I don't care. I need a phone. NOW! People at home are going to be worried." And he started to walk toward the arena exit, rummaging through his bag.

"Stupid…" he was muttering to himself, as he pulled out a foil wrapped bar. "Breakfast of champions!" he said sarcastically, ripping it open and taking a bite of the dark colored bar and then grimacing, "Oh, god! That's awful! How does he eat these things?" he said to himself looking at the offensive object, and spitting part of the mealy ration bar. "Wish I'd eaten before I did the test this morning. How could he eat these things on the road?" he asked himself as he continued on giving an odd look to the now burnt champions' tent, then continuing on the path up the hill toward the only sign of civilization he could see, a large castle. 'Surely there would be a phone there or in the office of the park,' he thought to himself, all the while completely ignoring the shouts and arguments that had erupted in his wake.

He was over halfway to the castle when he heard a female voice behind him. "You won't find one there," it said. Slowing he looked behind him.

"There's not an office up there?" he asked coming to a halt and turning to face the young woman, she had long auburn hair with red highlights and deep blue eyes. "Ok, where is the main office of the park? I'm sure they will have a phone."

"Um, this isn't a park it's a school and no there are no telephones, probably for several miles. I'm Susan, by the way, Susan Bones," she said offering her hand.

"Harry" he said shaking it. "You're sure there are no phones? What do you do if there is an emergency? Open a window and yell?"

"No we make a floo call."

"A…floo call. What in the world is that? Some form of radio phone?"

"No, you throw some floo powder into the fireplace fire then stick your head in and talk to whomever you wanted to be connected to."

He looked at her face closely. "Oh, I get it, Ha Ha. Now, you've had your fun, please tell me where a phone is."

"I'm afraid you misunderstood it's no joke, it is how things are done here."

"You expect me to believe that you just walk up to any fireplace, throw some powder into it, stick your head in and talk to someone doing the same? Right…"

"I admit, it can be hard on the knees, and you need to know the correct address, but yes," she said in all seriousness.

He gave her a stunned look. "Well," he said looking back up at the castle. "I guess that's out." Looking back at her he asked, "Is there a town nearby?"

"Yes, Hogsmeade is just past the gates of the school, but..."

"Just past the gates, ok thanks!" he said and began to walk up the hill.

"If you would stop for just a moment," she said to his back, as he began to walk away. "I'd tell you that that won't help you either."

"What? Why?" he said looking back.

"No telephones there either."

"A radio then, something?"

"No. Well you could write a letter..."

"That will take too long," he said. "Look, I need a way to get in contact with my family, fast. They'll be looking for me, and it could be bad if I can't get in touch with them before they find me."

"I'm sure they will be worried bu-"

Harry cut her off. "No, you don't understand!" he said frantically, then gaining some control. "They will be looking for me and **They. Will. Find. Me**, count on it. Then they will come to _retrieve_ me," he continued stressing the word.

"And this is a bad thing? I would think you would be glad they love you so much."

"I am, trust me, they would storm the gates of hell for each other and me."

"See it is a good thin-."

"Yes, and no… Just help me get some place I can contact them. Please."

"Well, my aunt may be able to help she is the head of the DMLE, Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She'll want to talk with you anyway, she's been looking for you for years," she said.

"Lead the way then… Looking for me? Why?"

"You're Harry Potter of course!" she said as if that answered everything, as she turned to walk back down the hill.


	5. Chapter 5

**I own Nothing!**

**Read! Review! Enjoy!**

**edited by pazed! **

**Thank You!**

**Chapter 5**

Harry followed the young woman back down toward the arena, along the way a particular song played in his head…

_A wiggle when they walk, and a giggling talk._

He had to admit, with a smile to himself, it was a nice wiggle, but much to his dismay his thoughts were disturbed by the quote 'adults' still standing where they had been arguing. If it was possible they had gotten louder, and the gathering larger.

Susan did not even seem fazed by it and just walked into the middle, to approach a woman with short cropped salt and pepper hair, and something he did not think existed outside bad movies with Nazis… she wore a monocle over her right eye. Her robes were a deep red and a silver badge was high on her left breast. She struck him as a very serious woman, used to commanding respect.

She leaned close as Sue approached then stood straight with a shock and turned to look toward Harry as he was pointed out to her. He waved and gave her a silly grin.

She fixed a dour expression on her face and moved away from the throng of people, and up toward the young man who was now sitting with his back against the wall of the arena.

"My name is Amelia Bones, head of the DMLE." She presented her hand.

He stood, taking it. "Nice to meet you officer. I'm Harry. Sue said you were the one to help. I sure hope so."

"What do you need Mr. Potter?" she asked.

"It's just Harry Ma'am," he said pulling off his hat and running his hand across his hair, then scratching it vigorously and replacing the cap. "I need to get in contact with Fairgrove Industries, asap, it's in Charlotte North Carolina. Then I guess I need to report the theft of Fairgrove property, or possibly its destruction. Once that's done I'll need to figure out how to get home."

She looked at him strangely. "North Carolina? In the Colonies? asap?"

"**A**s **S**oon **A**s **P**ossible. Yes'em, Charlotte. I imagine they will be looking for me, and my car," he replied. "A phone will do for the start. Then we can talk about what the whiskered idiot did with my car when he waved his stick at it," he continued, motioning at the old man surrounded by the crowd. "That guy... Black, said he vanished it."

She glanced over her shoulder, then shook her head. "Yes, I saw what he did." she said with a frown. "I take it, it was not yours?"

"No Ma'am. It was Fairgrove property."

"I'm sure something can be arranged," she replied.

"Ma'am, I'm not sure you understand. That was a hand built racer, the engine alone was worth a small fortune. They are going to be a little more than upset," Harry said.

"Mr. Po-"

"Harry."

She sighed at him, "Harry, if it was so important why did you bring it?"

"Why did I bring it?" he asked, getting angry, "**_WHY DID I BRING IT?_** Just before my arrival at this nut house, I was in North Carolina! Doing my damn Job! Then in a flash of light I'm here and my car is a twisted mess! Some bozo tells me I'm in Scotland… Some place that doesn't even have a _God Damned Phone_! Who doesn't have a phone?"

Her mind was reeling, if this was true... "You were in the Colonies, just before you arrived here?"

"**YES!** I was in the 'Colonies', at the test track outside Charlotte North Carolina! **_AND_**, believe you me this place looks nothing like our test track!" he yelled.

"Did you not want to be here?" she asked.

"Why, _In the Hell, _would I want to come here? My season only has one more race, next weekend! I'm in a tight duel for the championship! I need every second of track time I can get! And now my primary car... well it's gone!" he said waving toward the spot that the car had occupied.

"Then you do not know about the tournament?" she asked hesitantly.

"Oh for God's sake! What is with you people?" he said sitting back down, and reaching into his bag to pull out a bottle of water and take a drink, looking at the power bar again wondering if he was hungry enough to stomach it. Pulling off his hat and sunglasses and placing them to the side, he poured some water over his head and wiped his face with the sleeve of his fire suit.

Amelia watched as her niece blushed as the water coated him and his muscles flexed. When he opened his eyes she was stunned by their vibrant green color, bright as the finest jade, dazzling in the sun. He slipped the hat and glasses on with practiced ease.

"I don't really even know where here is," he said, with a sigh. "The old guy called it Hogwerts, or something, Sue said it was a school." He nodded toward the blushing girl. "The guy in the hat said something about a tournament," he motioned toward the Minister for Magic, "but I have no idea what any of you are talking about."

She kneeled down in front of him, and said, "It is what we are here for. This stadium was constructed for the first task of the Tri-Wizard Cup." Harry looked at her with a blank face. "Three schools are here to compete, each has a champion, Cedric Diggory from Hogwarts, Victor Krum from the Durmstrang Institute and Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. Each was chosen to represent their school as a representative or champion, the best of what their school has to offer."

"Great, good for them. What has any of that got to do with me?" he asked.

She let out a small breath. "I'm coming to that." Taking another breath she continued. "The selection is made by a magical lottery, students that could qualify placed their name in the Tri-Wizard cup and at the Halloween feast the names were chosen. Your name was selected after the other three."

Harry just sat there and stared at her, then…"That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard, and it still doesn't explain how I got here."

"When a name comes from the cup, it's considered a contract, one that binds the participants to the competition…" She let the statement trail off.

"So this 'contract' pulled me here? Five thousand plus miles to participate in a tournament I know nothing about?" Harry asked. "How was my name entered in this farce? How in Hell could I get entered into this damn thing?"

"I- We, Mr. Black, Remus Lupin, and I have no idea, but we have been looking for you for quite some time," Amelia said quietly.

"Looking for me why?" he asked. "Are you sure I'm the Harry you are looking for?"

"Yes, I'm sure. You look very much like your father, but you have your mother's eyes. I'd know those eyes anywhere," she smiled at him, "and with the cup pulling you here... It's kind of hard to ignore."

"But why would you be looking for me?" he asked. "I mean I haven't done anything that extraordinary yet."

She looked down at the ground. "Harry, that's not true. You survived an attack on your home when you were an infant, it's where that scar came from," she said pointing toward his head, at the lightning bolt shaped scar over his right eye.

"This?" he said raising his hand to touch it. He chuckled, "No, this came from the car crash that killed my parents..." He slowly dropped his hand. "Or at least that's what _Vernon_ said." He almost spat the word.

"Vernon?" she asked.

"Yeah, _Vernon and Petunia Dursley_," he said with spite. "My oh so loving family. I lived with them and their bloated son Dudley, in Surrey outside of London till I was six." He leaned his head back against the wall. "Let's just say they weren't the best role models."

"From what Sirius, Mr. Black, has said Lily had a sister named Petunia. We looked for them but the only address we had was old, we could never find them," Amelia said.

Harry scoffed, "Then you couldn't have been looking too hard, last I knew they were both in prison." Amelia gasped. "When I was found in Charlotte I was not in the best of shape," Harry said quietly. "It took almost two years but they were convicted of child abuse and neglect. Lily? Was that my mother's name?" Harry looked up at a now crying Susan and Amelia's eyes were full of unshed tears.

"Yes and your father's name was James," she said in a shaken tone.

"James and Lily Potter… I wonder what they were like." Susan gathered the young man in a hug.

"They were good friends," Amelia said. "They were always there when someone needed them. I hadn't seen them since just about the time of your birth. Lily helped me get prepared to take care of Susie after her parents passed away. If I'd known…" She gathered both of them in a hug.

He smiled a lopsided grin at her over Sue's shoulder. "Could you tell me about them?" he asked as they both let go of him and dried their eyes.

"I'm sure there are a lot of people that will have stories they will be glad to tell, Ha-" She was cut off by the approaching group of people, all trying to speak to at once.

"We need to get started, people will be getting restless!" said Minister Fudge.

"We have not... the champions have yet to choose their individual obstacles for the first task, and Ollivander still needs to check Mr. Potter's wand," stated Ludo Bagman.

Sirius stepped in front of them to block their path. "First he needs to be looked at by Madam Pomfrey, he was just in a rather nasty accident."

Amelia stood and turned her rage-filled eyes at the group, raised her wand and with a quick flip the sound of a cannon rang though the arena. "You will all stop as of this moment!" she yelled. "I have spent some time speaking with Harry, while you lot argued about the same things. **_AGAIN_**!"

"Harry," she said, while turning her gaze on Dumbledore in particular, "has no knowledge of this tournament! _And_ just prior to his appearance here, was in North Carolina. He has told me that people there will be searching for him as we spea-"

Fudge broke in, "No matter, the tournament must get underway. Take him to the champions' tent, Ollivander can check his wand there. Let us get this underway!" He turned and was immediately joined by Ludo and the blond man as they returned to their seats.

"Come along Harry, my boy," said Dumbledore, placing his hand on Harry's shoulder. "We'l-"

"Get your hands off of me!" yelled Harry, pulling away. "And don't call me boy! I have no interest in your little game, and I definitely **_DID NOT_** enter my name to be a part of it!"

"But you are entered Harry," Dumbledore said in a grandfatherly tone. "You must compete."

Harry laughed out loud. "Why? Because you say so? What are you going to do if I say no? Expel me? I don't go to any of these 'schools', Hell I don't even live in this country! As far as I'm concerned this is _Kidnaping_! On top of wilful destruction of property!"

"You have no choice Harry, when your name was chosen it was part of a magically binding contract." He heard Susan gasp. "If you do not compete…You will lose your magic!"


	6. Chapter 6

**I own Nothing!**

**Read! Review! Enjoy!**

**edited by pazed! **

**Thank You!**

**Chapter 6**

Harry looked at each of the faces in turn, then he began to laugh. "Ha-Haa…..Lose my Magic! Bwa-Ha-HaHa…." he laughed again, "Oh, that would solve so many problems," he said wiping his eyes. Then looking around again at the group seeing they were serious, he slowly stopped.

"You're serious?" he asked.

"Absolutely," said Dumbledore, "It is a magically binding contract, for you to compete in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. If you refuse, your magic will be bound, you will then live your life as a squib."

"A what?" Harry said looking around at the group.

"A squib, Harry," Sirius said, "Someone who has magic, but not enough to be a wizard."

"So, let me get this straight. I am being forced to compete, as you say, not participate… but _compete_, in a tournament I have neither heard of, or know anything about. Being held at a school I never knew existed, in a country I don't even live in, because my name was chosen by a cup and that linked me to some magical contract, that I've never read, or lose my magic…" He looked at Susan. "Is it me or does that sound like a particularly high grade of **_BULLSHIT!_**"

He then looked at Dumbledore, as Susan started to giggle. "And just how was my name entered into this farce?"

"Of that we are not particularly clear," Albus replied. "The cup was placed in the Great Hall of Hogwarts, and the students were told that this was a dangerous competition, and all of those who wished to participate should consider entering carefully. Then if they chose to compete they were to place their name and school on a piece of parchment and deposit it in the cup."

"Dangerous? How dangerous could a school's sponsored event be?" asked Harry.

Sirius answered before anyone else, he had an angry look on his face and kept furiously glancing at Albus as he spoke. "Very, the last time it was held two champions were killed and the third was seriously injured, that's why the competition was stopped. For some reason it was resurrected, after not being held for 150 years."

At that Harry shook his head, then dropped it back against the wall. "Unbelievable… and I guess any student could enter?"

"Of course not my bo-" Dumbledore started.

"You call me that again, and I'll knock the holy living hell out of you," Harry said in an even tone.

"—um, No, Harry, an age line was put in place, so only those of age could compete."

"And, what age is that?" Harry said looking at the man.

"Seventeen," said the lady Headmistress.

Harry broke out in a smile, "Well there you go, not only was I not in the country, but I'm fourteen. By your own laws I'm not of age to consent. So about that phone..."

Dumbledore placed his hand on Harry's shoulder, Harry glared at the offending arm. If Albus noticed he did not pay it any heed. "I'm sorry, Harry but that is not how it works. Your name came from the cup, therefore you are bound to the contract."

Harry reached up with his left hand in a quick motion and reached over Albus's wrist and slipping two fingers inside his grip pressed down on the nerve cluster in the webbing between his four fingers and thumb then twisted. Albus's arm was flipped over so the elbow was hyper extended, he cried out in pain as he dropped to his knees and Harry stood.

"I don't care for being touched by people I don't like. You've had all the warnings you are going to get old man!" Harry then tossed the arm aside, Albus cried out again and began massaging his arm and flexing his hand.

"So, how did my name make it in this cup? And where is a copy of this contract? By god if I'll be a part of this thing unless I have to," Harry said turning to Amelia. "And I hope someone kept those slips that came from the cup. I want to see them too."

"I think that's reasonable," Sirius said, stepping between Harry and Albus. "Don't you agree?" he said looking at the man on the ground. Albus nodded. Turning he addressed Harry, "Harry can we at least get the school healer to look at you while we wait for Dumbledore to come back down?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I guess… would have been forced to the docs if the crack-up had happened on the track anyway, but I really need to get in touch with my people too."

The man smiled and said, "Tell you what, you give me the number, I'll get someplace to get in contact with them if you get checked out. Ok?"

"How by carrier pigeon?" Harry asked. "Sue said it is a long way to a phone."

"No, I'll floo to a friend, he has access to a phone."

"Well, aren't you Mr. Helpful." He rattled off the number and Sirius wrote it down as they walked to the, now repaired, champions' tent. "You'll need to talk to a man named Tannim. Say I'm alright, but the car is a total loss. Then you'll need to tell him exactly where I am, and then _request_ and I put an big emphasis on the term, _request_ the presence of Lady Ako at her earliest convenience, and for him to apologize for my not being able to contact her directly myself. Then please explain the situation as best you can…" he trailed off thinking for a moment.

"In all likelihood you will end up speaking with Keighvin while they get Tannim, be polite! Tell him what has happened, tell him everything is ok, and I'll be back as soon as I can… and if Shar gets on the phone… I can't help you with her, you'll need to ride out the yelling till Tannim can calm her down."

"Sounds like an interesting group," Sirius said.

"You have no idea."

Harry sat on the examining table while the woman that was introduced as Madam Pomfrey waved her wand around him, She pursed her lips as she worked.

"You seem to be in fine health Mr Potter"

"It's Harry Ma'am."

"Just some bumps and bruises, that I can attribute to your…unusual arrival," she continued. "I would normally give you something for them but it could be seen as an advantage in the competition."

He thanked her as he hopped down from the table and walked back to where the champions were told to wait. Entering he announced to the room, "Clean bill of health!"

"Excellent," said the voice of Barty Crouch as strode across the floor holding out a cloth sack. "The others have chosen their opponent, please take the remaining token, then let Mr Ollivander check your wand while the others begin!"

"Umm... how 'bout, _No!_" Harry replied, "I have still not looked at the contract for this event! I won't be doing anything till then!"

Barty then spoke in a hushed forceful hiss, "You will do as you are told! Your name came out of the cup therefore you will compete! The event has been delayed long enough!" he said as he thrust an object into Harry's hands. "You get the Horntail Dragon. It is the only one left, besides the first match is underway. Go see Mr. Ollivander!" He spun and walked away. As he flipped open the tent flap Harry could hear the cheers of the crowd only for them to be lost in the roar of a mighty beast.

He looked down at the animated figure in his hands, it was brown and copper with wickedly sharp looking spines on the tail that was whipping around like a cat's, its wings were large and leathery, and from a mouth filled with large jagged teeth spouted fire after every few breaths.

Harry just stared for a moment, _this_ was to be his opponent? He looked over at the two remaining champions. "Umm…Who is this Ollivander?"

"That would be me, Mr Potter," said a man, rising from his seat. He had large blue eyes, and hair styled ala Albert Einstein. "I am a wand crafter, and have been tasked to see that all of the competitors' wands are in good working order."

Harry snorted, "Then we have a problem sir. I don't have a wand."


	7. Chapter 7

**I own Nothing!**

**Read! Review! Enjoy!**

**edited by pazed!**

**Thank You!**

**Chapter 7**

That single statement set off a shockwave, it had only taken minutes for a large group to congregate back in the champions' tent after the first contestant had finished. They were led by the man that Harry now identified as the bearded idiot, followed closely by minister moron, and dumbass in a derby. Each had even picked up a follower! Harry chuckled to himself, a toad, a red head, and a grease ball walk in to a bar…nah… it still wouldn't be that funny, it tried too hard.

Albus rushed over, "Harry, Mr. Ollivander informed us that you have no wand?" he asked with a concerned tone.

Harry stood, ignoring the man, and walked to the tent flap where the contestant... Fleur? Was that right? had entered with a limp and singed robes, and carrying a golden egg almost too large for her arms to wrap around comfortably. "Miss? Would you like some help? Those burns look painful." He offered his hand, which she hesitantly took.

"Merci.. Thank you," she said with a small smile.

"Not a problem. It is only polite." He started leading her away.

"Now see here! We..." started the Minister only to be cut off.

He turned, anger present in his eyes, "I have no idea how you people are taught, but where I'm from we help the injured _first_!" He continued to help the limping woman behind the screens where the healer smiled at him.

"Idiots," he said under his breath. "Miss Pomfrey, it seems you have your next patient," he said helping the young woman up onto the table.

"So it would seem, Mr. Potter. Thank you for your help," she said.

He nodded at her, then looked back at Fleur. "And you need to remember, flames will not improve your tan." He gave her a joking smile and a pat on her hand, then stepped back around the dividers into the chaos of voices beyond.

Fleur sat there with an odd look on her face, seemingly confused until Madam Pomfrey explained the joke in French and she began to giggle. "What an unusual young man," she mused.

As Harry returned he was assaulted with questions, he ignored them as he walked back to the chair Mr. Ollivander had used, and sat. The men's voices collided becoming a roar, finally Albus pulled to the front and yelled, "**Gentlemen!** Please, we need to get to the bottom of this!"

He turned back to face the person in question. "Harry, would you please explain what you said to Mr. Ollivander?"

"He asked to see my wand, I said I don't have one. End of story." He pulled out his water and the offensive protein bar and took a bite, his face twisted into a grimace. "God that's awful," he said chewing then swallowing, immediately followed by a large gulp of water.

"Harry you need a wand to compete..." Albus began, "Are you sure i-it's not in your bag?" He was starting to get a bad feeling about this and could feel sweat blossom on his brow.

Harry looked at the man and shrugged, he unzipped the bag and upended it onto the ground. Things bounced and clattered as they impacted the hard packed earth. "Let's see," he said, kicking at things with his foot. "First aid kit, disgusting things Tannim calls food, water bottle, sunglasses case, and my wallet. Nope, no hunk of wood." He shook his head and looked at the gathered group.

"Potter," said the man he had identified as grease ball. "Quit being obnoxious and wasting our time!" he said turning with a flourish making his robes billow. "He's just like hi-"

"Hey McGreasy! How did you do that twirly thing? That's kind of cool." Then he bent over and scooped everything back in the bag. "Look I don't know anything about a wand, and it would probably be as useful to me as the tits on a boar hog… Might be able to use a pair as drumsticks. I beat a fair set of skins." He took another bite of the bar, made a face and washed it down with gulp of water. "Nope, this crap is inedible." And he tossed the remainder in the bag.

Harry looked up at the group. "Did you find me a copy of this supposed contract yet? And the thing that came out of this cup of yours?"

The group looked at each other then at Dumbledore; the minister spoke first, "Dumbledore! What, exactly is going on here?"

A voice came from the door way, "Yes, _Albus_ I'm sure all of us would like to hear an explanation of this." Sirius had returned, with Madam Bones standing next to him. "Answers to things like; Why was Harry over in the Colonies? Why does he not know of Hogwarts? His Parents? Their Friends? His Godparents? Please tell us where he's been all these years. What has he been doing? What form of training and schooling has he had?" Sirius stepped closer, anger and pain plain on his face. "Where has he been Albus, I've had enough of your lies and half truths. We," he said gesturing to Madam Bones, "have been looking for him from the day I was released! _You,_ have been looking for him longer! _You,_ knew where he was at one time! _You,_ put him there!"

Harry's head snapped to Dumbledore. "**_You,_**" Harry charged from the chair, and collided with the old man the impact carrying both of them to the ground, Harry landing atop of him, "**_You!_** Put me with them!" he screamed, as his right fist descended impacting with a sickening '_Crunch!' _and blood flew from the old man. "**_You left me with them!_**" His left hand fell with a crushing blow. "**_Five years!_**" His right fell again. "**_Five years of HELL!_**" Another left, tears were now falling from him. "**_Five years!_**" A blue beam of light collided with his side and he stiffened, all of his limbs going rigid and he toppled over next to the target of his rage, his eyes still locked on him, hatred and pain evident on his face.

Amelia was immediately next to him, turning him so she was looking into his pain filled eyes. "Harry!" she said trying to catch his eyes. "Harry! Look at me! It's over! You're not there anymore! You're safe!" She cast a _finite_, releasing the spell she had cast, and gathered the young man into her arms. "Shhhh… It's ok Harry." She looked at Sirius, and tossed her head toward the exit.

"Everybody out!" he said to the group.

"Now see here, Black! I have every-" the Minister started.

Sirius whirled on the man. "**AND I AM THIS BOY'S GODFATHER! ****_Chosen_** by his parents to look after him!" he spat out into Fudge's face. "Something that was denied to me because the _Ministry,_" he said with contempt, "never gave me a trial! Then this…." he kicked Dumbledore in the leg. "this…"

"Ass" Harry supplied weakly.

The corner of Sirius's mouth twitched up, "Thank you Harry. This _ASS_ put him with the last people that they would have wanted! You saw his reaction! Can you imagine how they must have treated him?"

Fudge looked uncomfortable, and mumbled something unintelligible. Then Amelia spoke quietly still holding Harry close. "According to Harry, it was bad enough that they are in Muggle prison." Looking up at the group she said, "Go, all of you, and if I see or hear one word of this I'll know who is responsible," looking at each man in turn. "Take him to Madam Pomfrey, and get out. Snape," she said looking at the greasy haired man, "go find McGonagall and have her find what Harry wanted, the slip from the cup and a copy of the contract, he deserves to see it." The look she gave them left no room for dissent, so they did as they were asked.

After the group left Sirius and Amelia sat with Harry on the floor, both quietly waiting as he recovered himself. He slowly looked up at them. "Sorry about that," he said waving his arm toward the blood-stained floor. "My therapist said I have a few anger issues concerning _them_." He took a deep breath, held it a second and blew it out. Then spoke again looking at the ground between his knees. "The _Dursleys_…."

He looked at Sirius out of the corner of his eye, "Did you mean it? A-are you my godfather?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Sirius answered quietly, his eyes glancing toward Amelia then back to Harry. "Yes. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you." His eyes brimmed with tears, you could feel Harry's anger build as his body stiffened.

"Harry," Madam Bones rested a calming hand on his leg." You need to hear the entire story before you react… Please, Harry, Sirius made a dumb mistake, and has paid dearly for it." Harry stared deeply into her eyes, she instinctively knew breaking the gaze would cost her the little bit of trust she had gathered since meeting him.

He slowly turned to the man beside him, and looked him in the eye his rage tightly contained. Sirius faltered for a moment then began. "I-I was your father's best friend, we grew up together, went here to school together." He waved a hand in the general direction of the castle, "We were like brothers." He smiled, softly. "He met your mother here."

Taking a deep breath he continued, "There was a war, a man that called himself Lord Voldemort, and his followers, were trying to take over our world. Your parents, myself and many others stood against them, I won't lie to you about it…" He looked at Amelia, she nodded. "It was not going well. His followers are very powerful politically, and they used that and fear to paralyze our government.

"Your parents were exceptional people. They stood in the line of fire many times, helping however they could, till Lily became pregnant." Sirius smiled at the memory, "They were so happy, your father strutted around. Then we obtained some disturbing information..."

He looked at Harry, then away. "He had targeted you." Harry looked at him in confusion.

"Harry, terror was a tool to him." Amelia had continued, "Two couples had been remarkably successful in their ability to stand, and rally people against him, your parents the Potters, and the Longbottoms. Both had even fought directly against him and survived on more than one occasion. They had become a symbol, a rallying point for those that did not follow him. What better way to both terrorize and destroy the symbol, and possibly break them than to kill their children."

Sirius took a deep breath and let it out as he began again. "Soooo. They all went into hiding soon after you were born." He let out a chuckle. "Neville, the Longbottom boy, was born the day before you. Both to be hidden by a particularly powerful spell, it was incredibly difficult and taught to them by Dumbledore, I never did find out where it came from, the Fidelius Charm. It hides information so completely that unless you have been told by the person designated in the spell as '_secret keeper'_ there is no way to even see what is being protected."

He looked up into Harry's eyes, "I was supposed to be the '_secret keeper'_ for the home we had quietly obtained for them, _but-"_ he sighed, "right before it was cast we decided that would be too dangerous. I was widely known as James's best friend, I would be the logical choice, so we switched keepers…."

He looked down again. "I suggested it… We had two other great friends when we were here, Remus Lupin, and _Peter Pettigrew_…" He spat the last name. "Remus… Remus has an issue that… made him unsuitable. So we settled on _Peter_….. That was our mistake, Peter had become a spy for them.

"I don't know when it happened or how," he provided, "but somehow that monster had won our once friend to his side." He sucked in a breath, "It was Halloween, 1981 when _he_, Lord Voldemort, attacked your home… When I arrived, Hagrid, the game-keeper was already there and was holding you in his arms…"

His eyes filled with tears as he looked at the young man. "That is when I made a mistake that will haunt me even after I die… _I left you_ with him…" Tears rolled down Sirius's face. "I just left you with him… I knew the only way you could have been found is if Peter had told someone… I went after him."

He continued after collecting himself, "At first I was worried… He was a friend, but after searching his place, I knew… I _knew_, that he had betrayed us… I searched for him, and finally caught up with him on a road in a muggle community, where he blew up a gas line… The blast killed thirteen people, my shield held but I was knocked unconscious and he escaped.

"When I came around, I was… I was lost. My suggestion had killed your parents, I was blaming myself… I must have said something about it out loud and the Aurors that heard took it as a confession of guilt," he said quietly, and his voice drained away.

Amelia continued, "He was in Azkaban, our prison, before the day was out. No trial was held, he was the killer of the Potters. The man that betrayed them, no one ever said anything about it. That was the day you became the Boy-Who-Lived. The child that defeated the Dark Lord Voldemort. Sirius spent twelve years in prison, till he escaped last year, and captured Peter Pettigrew. He has suffered too Harry, please don't hold it against him. He may be an idiot," Sirius snorted a half laugh, "but he's a good one."

Harry studied the man's face, then reached out a hand. "It is nice to meet you Mr. Black."

Sirius smiled, they needed to start somewhere, best start from the beginning. "It's nice to meet you Mr. Potter," he said moving to take the offered hand.

"It's Harry," Harry replied.

"Sirius." They shook hands.


	8. Chapter 8

As always, I own nothing!

Read, Enjoy, Review.

**Chapter 8**

Harry sat alone in the tent, as the tournament carried on outside. Diggory, the Hogwarts champion and the last of the other contestants was on his way to the arena. If the others were any form of indication it would be around a half hour till he was done and the area was made ready again, not much time.

It had been during Krum's trial that they had returned, the documents in the hands of a stern looking woman whose eyes glittered with unshed tears as she handed him the contract along with a small piece of paper bearing Harry's name. He quickly glanced over the contract, he almost laughed when he looked at the 'paper' it was _real_ parchment… the hand-made stuff, with all the imperfections and weight. It had hand-written script in a large looping style.

Truthfully it was very straight forward, as contracts went. Each potential candidate, upon the entrant's name being accepted by the goblet, was obliged to compete if their name was returned by the goblet at the selection feast. They would compete in three trials and a winner would be selected by a panel of judges composed of the three headmasters and three others selected by the Tri-wizard Commission; the points they awarded would be applied to the time each competitor achieved in the event. The penalty for non-compliance with the rules set forth in the contract was the loss of the participant's magic. His name, in an identical scrawl to the one on the small slip of paper, was at the bottom with the others that had been selected.

Nowhere was any mention of a minimum age, or even number of schools to be entered. He had seen a number of contracts in his short life at Fairgrove, ones dealing with everything from sponsors to equipment, the one thing that was constant was the exacting nature of them but this one seemed to be deliberately vague. As Lady Ako had drilled into him, the devil is in the details.

If there was one thing Lady Ako knew it was the details, it was her nature. She had taught him that from the first days she came to their home, and he had become her star pupil. From the tea ceremony he learned to help calm him, to what he was learning at her side in the boardroom he could often be found at her side if he was not on the track. She felt he needed to be able to write the same contracts that would be used to protect him in the future, and he had been quickly convinced.

This contract while looking benign on the surface, was iron clad in its simplicity. The word _compete_ had been used in each necessary reference, while the missing clauses about age or level of ability, and the omission of number and or names of schools left little doubt, it had been written with something else in mind.

The slip of paper more than proved it. It was old, burnt around the edges and a dusty brown with light blue lines set about a half inch apart with a broken line resting in the center of them. Harry recognized the paper, it was used at the school he started at when he lived with _them_, he used a version at home when he was young as well. It was paper used to teach children handwriting… to teach _him_ handwriting; Harry Potter was written in pencil across the edge, K1-1, his class, and his school, Sandfield Primary… It was how they were taught to place their names on their assignments… He laughed as he realized he was to compete for a grade school!

He wadded the paper in his hand, if what had been said was true there was only one person that would have had access to this, Dumbledore the Gandalf wannabe. McGonagall, the woman that had brought it to him, had been at a loss for an explanation as to the school he would be representing.

He smiled to himself, that had gone over _oh so_ well with Sirius and Amelia. They had ranted and raved especially loudly after finding out that Albus had ducked away after seeing the healer and before they could get hold of him. From that had grown some speculation on why the old man had done this, why was he so desperate to find Harry? Was he trying to kill him?

After it was all said and done it didn't matter, well at least not at the moment. Sirius had said not to worry about anything when he refused to participate in the task, no matter what he would stand with him. Amelia had added that no one would blame him when they knew he did not know how to use a wand, and that Dumbledore was at fault for this mess. Harry had agreed with them, it was a mess. Then asked for some time alone as it was a lot to take in. They both had hugged him and promised to be just outside when he was ready, then stepped out.

He had then taken a seat on the ground his legs crossed, hands on his thighs and began his normal pre-race ritual. He closed his eyes, began to relax and reached into his memory for his 'happy place' and sank into it, releasing the tension held in his body and the thoughts plaguing his mind. His breathing became deep and rhythmic and his mind focused on the task at hand. With his mind settled his eyes opened and he stood as he was called to the arena.

As the sunlight hit him he slipped on his sunglasses, their mirrored lenses flashing in the sun. Sirius's hand landed on his shoulder, "Are you ready, Harry?"

He shook his arms and legs loosening them, then did a couple of stretches. "Guess I don't have any choice," he said slipping his arms back into his fire suit and zipping it up, finally rubbing the Fairgrove logo on his left breast for luck, and old habit. "Let's get it over with." He began to walk to the arena entrance, and finally stepped down into its floor, alone.

He looked to his left, toward the far end of the pitch to see the mammoth creature, the spines on its tail looking half his height or more, the teeth just as long. It could probably gobble him down in a single bite. The wings looked like they belonged on a passenger jet, and the burst of flame it belched upward looked easily twice as high as one of the towers. As he thought about it, that thing had most likely used toothpicks bigger than him!

He shook his head and looked toward the judges' podium, the voice of Ludo Bagman was magnified so everyone could easily hear him. "Presenting the _unprecedented_ fourth competitor for the Tri-Wizard Cup… **_HARRY POTTER!_**" Harry stood stock still, looking at the man, the sound coming from the crowd was thunderous. Startled, the great beast at the far end of the stadium let loose with an earthshaking **_ROAR!_** Flames followed as the head swung, they were reaching over 3/4ths of the distance across the ground, and the heat rolling off them was unbelievable!

Harry leaned away from the flames and heat then raised his arms, moving them up and down in a quieting motion. As the crowd sat, Bagman spoke again. "Mr. Potter your time has begun!"

Harry gave him an annoyed look. "Thank you for your concern, but I have something to say before I begin this travesty! Ladies and Gentlemen, I am afraid you have been kept waiting under false pretences." Murmurs ran through the gathering. "I am not a member of any of the schools that would normally compete…"

"**_Mr. Potter_****!**" shouted Minister Fudge. "Please do not delay things any longer than you already have! I am sure that these good people have no interest-"

"**_Let me have my say and this will be over quickly then_**!" Harry yelled over him. Clearing his throat he continued. "I do not even live in this country!" Shouts could be heard coming from the crowd, a few he could make out and they would not make the bearded one happy. Again he raised his arms, "When I woke this morning I was half a world away and blissfully unaware of this… this… tournament!"

Yells erupted again, some focused on him calling him a liar, others focused on those in the judges' box. "I do not meet the criteria set for this contest, but have somehow been forced into it as a competitor."

He slowly walked till he was directly in front of the judges' box and spoke again. "If I had thirty pieces of silver I would be giving them to you _Mr. Dumbledore_!" He said the name with contempt. "As it is this will do." He brought his right fist across his chest to his left breast and thumped it hard and bowed, as he straightened he snapped his arm out straight his hand slightly higher than his head. "I, who am about to die salute you!" He then flipped his hand over and lowered three fingers leaving the middle one straight "**FUCK YOU!"**

He then walked to the middle of the pitch keeping a large boulder between him and the creature, turned so his back was against the stone and sat, pulling his legs up and crossing them. 'Now the fun begins,' he thought, as the gathered crowd descended into bedlam.

Voices assaulted the judges from all sides, most directed to the eldest of the group, all wanting answers. At the forefront of them was a shorter woman her hair done in small ringlets, wearing horn-rimmed glasses and taking notes with an acid green quill. "Chief Warlock? What did Mr. Potter mean with his statements? You have always said that he was safe and being well taught, from his vulgar language can it be assumed that that was not the case?"

"I can assure you he is perfectly healthy, Ms. Skeeter. Just a little out of sorts from his travel, and a misunderstanding on how things are to be handled," said Albus, with a grandfatherly smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye.

"Oh, come now Albus," the voice of Sirius Black came from behind him, "Let's tell the nice reporter the entire truth. My _Godson_ is right put out with _you_."

His head snapped around to look at Black, who had a large predatory grin on his face. Albus's mouth opened but upon seeing the chief of the DMLE at Sirius's side he faltered as she said, "Albus, you and I need to have a long talk after today's event is completed," leaving absolutely no doubt that the conversation would be quite unpleasant for the elder statesman. He nodded slowly as the questions began anew, it took several minutes and a good portion of the Aurors on duty to convince the crowd to settle down and return to their seats.

As soon as the crowd settled and their attention returned to the arena the same question entered all of their minds as they gazed down at the pitch. All was quiet below them. The beast had settled itself, chest against the nest, guarding its clutch of eggs, the large head pivoting easily. 'Where was he?'

There was no sign of the Boy-Who-Lived.


	9. Chapter 9

I own nothing.

Edited by the amazing pazed!

See Post note!

Read! Enjoy! Review!

**Chapter 9**

Sirius bolted from his place in the stands, as the dragon handlers took to the field and retrieved the female dragon. Pandemonium had once again descended on the crowd. Amelia leaned closer to Dumbledore, and spoke directly into his ear. "This is your fault, and you will answer for it!" Turning on her heel she began the trip down to the pitch.

The elder wizard was pale, his skin clammy, sweat beaded on his forehead, and he had a strange numb sensation in his left arm. He sat still in the sea of panic, lost in his own thoughts as the crowd around him grew louder, the returned savior of their world was gone once again.

On the field Sirius looked franticly around from the spot he had last seen Harry, but found no trace. No blood, no burnt clothing… nothing. He twisted around to face the direction of the remaining dragon handlers that were now removing the eggs from the nest, and called out, "Do any of you see him?"

They looked at him confused. "Who?"

"Harry! The Champion that fought the horntail! Weren't you watching?!" he shouted back.

They looked at each other then at Sirius. "No," the young red head answered. "Only the senior handler was watching, and he's up near the stands. We were alerted, by a charm, when the champion's egg left the stadium!"

"_Left the stadium_!" he repeated. His head snapped to the only other entrance, beyond it stood the champions' tent. Suddenly he was moving for it faster than he would have thought possible. As soon he ran inside he spotted him, Harry sat smiling at the mediwitch as she ran her wand over him. He seemed well enough, his red and white suit was once again tied at his waist, he seemed relaxed and not in any pain, and surprisingly, next to him sat a golden egg.

"Harry! How?" He moved to his side, and gathered him into a hug. "Poppy. How is he?" he asked as he backed away and looked back and forth between them.

"He is perfectly fine, not a scratch." Amelia finally caught up with them as Madam Pomfrey gave her pronouncement. "I suggest you get a good night's rest and a hot meal, you have had quite a day young man."

"Yes ma'am." He looked shocked for a moment and then grabbed his bag, plunging his hand inside and pulling out his wallet and rummaged through it. "Great," he said hanging his head, "eleven dollars and my paycheck, I knew I should have gone to the bank last night, but oh no Tannim and Shar just had to be late…" He looked up at the pair that had entered. "I don't suppose…"

Sirius chuckled. "I think we can work something out," he said with a large grin, then giving him a dour expression. "How did you get the egg? You said you don't have a wand."

"Hmmm…?" came from him as he placed his fire gloves and wallet back in the bag. "Oh, this thing," he said flipping his thumb at the golden egg. "Meh… It wasn't so hard." Their eyes widened at his flippant attitude. "I got bored watching you all argue, so I walked over and picked it up."

Their jaws dropped… literally. Their mouths hung open wide enough that Harry was sure a pool ball would fit with room to spare. He started laughing, "Wow the looks on your faces are great." He hopped down from the exam table, grabbed his bag and the egg. "Lead on McDuff! I'm a hungry teenager, you're lucky I haven't eaten this tent."

"Harry, how…?" Sirius stammered out.

"Food, come on move it," he said shoving the gaping man toward the door. "Come on you too Officer Bones."

As they were about to exit the judges led by the head fool entered. "Harry!" said the old man, as he strode across the room his eyes widening at the golden egg under his arm. "You completed the task…." His voice stumbled to a stop, "How?"

"That is something I would like to know as well!" said Minister Fudge. "We never saw you attempt the task! And yet here you are with one of the champion's eggs! Explain how that is!"

Harry looked the man up and down. "Not my fault you were distracted, I completed the task." He began to brush past the gathered group, a hand landed firmly on his upper arm and jerked him to a halt.

The toad in a pink sweater glared at him. "You _will_ tell us how you completed the task!"

"Let go!" Harry yanked his arm loose. "Your lack of focus is _not_ my problem." He leaned closer to her, "Touch me again and it will be most unpleasant."

She stepped back from the glare he was giving her. "I am the Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic! You will do as you are told! You have cheated somehow, and I will…"

"Will you _**shut up**_! Y'all couldn't stay focused on your task. **Not. **_**MY**_**. Problem.**"

"You will answer, or you will receive no score, and we will count it as a forfeit!" she sneered at him.

"It was a timed event," he looked over her shoulder at Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch. "Isn't that what you said? Time started on your mark and ended when the egg was off the pitch? At least that is how you explained it to me."

The others looked over at Barty expectantly. "Mr. Potter is correct, it is a timed event. With up to a possible ten style points from each of the four selected event judges, that would be subtracted from the total time, and of course the winner is the competitor with the lowest adjusted time."

Albus asked the obvious question, "And what were the champions' times?"

Ludo lifted his score book. "Delacour 8:40 she received 28 points from today's four randomly selected judges for a total of, each point is worth ten seconds, a time of four minutes exactly. A very respectable time."

"Krum 7:54, he received 32 additional points… unfortunately a mandatory penalty is to be added for accidental destruction of some of the eggs, for a total time of… 5:44. It is too bad about the rotten luck." He smiled at the young man and went back to his book.

"Diggory 8:26, 21 additional points... probably due to his needing to try a couple of different times... for a total of 4:56. Very good Mr. Diggory, Amos will be proud!" He gave him a solid clap on the shoulder.

"Mr. Potter… _Oh MY!"_ His eyes went wide, he pulled out his wand and ran it over the book several times, then spoke. "Mr. Potter's time was 4:41 seconds. No points added or penalties."

Silence permeated the tent. Albus was the first to turn to Harry, whose face held a wide grin. "You said you have no wand…"

Harry nodded, "Nope!" He looked at the pink horror, "Officer Bones and Mr. Black can verify, I haven't got one."

"Then how…" Albus moved closer, "How did you do it then Harry?" His eyes twinkled, as he approached.

Harry just smiled brightly. "That's a good question." He turned to Sirius, "About that food... the tent walls are looking really good about now." He brushed past the congregated group and into the evening air.

"Harry?" Albus asked following after the smaller group that had begun to walk up the hill, "Where are you going?"

"Lunch… Well technically I guess it would be supper here. Mr. Bl-" Harry began to answer.

"Sirius, Harry. Please call me Sirius."

"Right." He smiled at the man next to him, "Sirius and Officer Bones said we could find me some food, and a place to crash till someone can get here and I can head on home."

That odd numbness had returned, Albus ignored it. "A feast will be served in the Great Hall shortly you are welcome to join us. I am also sure we can offer you a place to clean up, and possibly some other clothing or have what you are wearing cleaned." He smiled his best grandfatherly smile.

Harry looked at his companions. "Did they say how long it would take for them to get here?"

Sirius shook his head, "No they didn't know yet and said it would be a couple of hours till they knew. My friend, Remus, will get in contact with us soon with the details."

Harry nodded his understanding, "I could probably use a shower."

Amelia spoke up, "I'm sure we could figure something out for you to wear, for the moment. It may not be what you are used to, but…"

"When in Rome… Yeah I get it. Alright food and a shower."

_**Post Note:**_ Ok, nobody jump down my throat! I will reveal how Harry did the first task soon; it just doesn't fit the story flow at the moment. Sorry to keep you in suspense… wait no I'm not… I'm an author! It's my job to make both my hero and audience squirm!

And on that note one more reason to scream at me. I'm off on a vacation soon, two weeks in Alaska, and I promised no computer so… it will be an extra week possibly two or so till the new chapter is up (depends on work when I'm back).


	10. Chapter 10

I own Nothing!

Thank you to the amazing pazed for the edit!

I'm back from vacation so wit no further ado, ON WITH THE SHOW!

Read! Enjoy! Review!

**Chapter 10**

For the first time since his arrival Harry felt like he could take a breath. The day had taken a lot out of him but for the moment he was someplace that allowed him a moment to think, and best of all privacy.

He had been told that this was the bathroom for the 'prefects'. He thought they sounded a little like the student council, only with the ability to enforce school rules. 'Now wouldn't that be a nightmare at home!' he thought to himself. 'Maybe the positions aren't a popularity contest like they are there, if those people could run the school...' he shuddered a little.

The bathroom was quite large, with a tub (big enough to almost swim in) that filled from an odd series of taps each with its own form of scent, color, or effect. He had just stuck with warm, very warm, boil your lobster warm. After the crash it felt great.

He lifted his head out of the water, and scrubbed it hard for a final time then as he let the tub refill he settled back to take a serious look around. Once the tub was full he pushed himself out and sat on the edge feet dangling in the water. He relaxed and began to reach outward with his senses till with a little bubbling feeling that started from his toes he felt himself rise from his body. He opened his 'eyes' and looked around.

He could see the shields and protections of the castle glowing all around him. He probed outward, the shields were crude. Much like the first ones he made when he began his studies with Tannim and Shar, this form had two basic flaws. First with enough force they could be overwhelmed, or crushed outright; second if you spent the time and found the right spot it could be… for the lack of a better term, popped. Kind of like a balloon.

The shields he was familiar with were based on geometrics, specifically something called a geo-sphere. A way of stacking triangles to form a sphere, the bonus of this form was that impacts were spread out among the triangles increasing the overall surface area, and then by adding power shunts to the junctions you could siphon off some of the excess energy and recycle it, even feeding it into the shields themselves, in effect tripling their strength. There were ways of dealing with them, but it took time. A _lot_ of time.

"Live from Scotland it's Saturday Night!" screamed a voice. Harry immediately snapped back to his body and spun around to face a 1950s era TV sitting in the corner. "Thank you all for coming tonight! We've -" The man on the screen looked remarkably like James Dean complete with leather coat.

"FX! Thank god!" As soon as it was out of his mouth Harry groaned.

In a blink James Dean was standing there in person where the TV had been, dressed in white robes with a red sash, a glow behind his head and five foxtails spread in a fan behind him. "Fear not my son. Ask and ye shall receive my eternal blessing!"

Harry rolled his eyes, a grin on his face. "Oh, stow it fox!" Despite the fact that he knew it encouraged the kitsune he laughed, and FX gave him a bow then returned to his James Dean outfit. "How long have you been here?"

"Not all that long, it took a while to get here." He shrugged. "About half way through your meal. It took a little time to find a way in, then I had to avoid the ghosts."

"Yeah, I met a couple at dinner." He stood and began to towel off. "Odd lot, seem to know they are dead. They act like they are ok with it."

"Probably are, seems as if they are more like some of the old spirits back home. More guardian than ghost. Lady Ako is on her way here," he said while inspecting the spigots around the tub. "She is not pleased."

Harry grumbled under his breath, "She's not pleased? I'm sure as hell not pleased!"

"I figured as much."

"I never wanted to come back to this god forsaken country!"

"I know Harry and so do they."

"Who's coming?'

"Lady Ako, and Shar." Harry grasped the wall in front of him and banged his head softly on the wall.

"Oh, god! I'm not going to live out the week." He kept his now throbbing head against the cold stone, it was surprisingly nice, very cold. "I'm going to pay for the car aren't I?"

"He's not real happy, that thing was expensive, but I think he understands. Keighvin knows you had no control over the magic. God knows he has dealt with enough of this crap!"

"Yeah, it still doesn't help me feeling bad. It was brand new, the test bed for the next season to boot. It was to be my lead car, and help us set up for the other teams."

FX walked over to him, "Don't let Keighvin know I told you this, but... he kind of expected you to crack one up during the tests this week. That was one of three he had ready," he said with a smile. "I think he was trying to impress on you the necessity to keep from tearing things up unnecessarily."

Harry's jaw dropped and he sat stunned for a moment. "I can still run one with the new setup?" FX nodded. "Oh…HOT DAMN! I am gonna crush 'em!" he said leaning back against the wall a look of relief covering his face.

"I don't doubt it kit! Now tell me, any hot prospects around?" FX asked with a leer.

"Down fox! I've met a total of four people around my own age in this nut house..."

"Were any of them girls?"

He glared at the kitsune, then looked away. "Yes."

"And…."

"Red head, and a blond, nice..." He caught himself. "Damn you fox! I have bigger problems than women." Harry pulled on his driving shoes.

"But they are important!"

"… whatever. When will they be here?"

FX's demeanor changed and all the teasing was gone. "In the morning, it's an early morning arrival. The man that called said that he would have them to you by mid morning."

"Fabulous…" he said quietly. "I'll need to stay up all night. It's a good thing I didn't use much magic with that stunt in the arena."

"What happened?" FX asked concerned.

"I imagine you heard that this is some form of magical tournament?" FX nodded. "Can you believe that the first 'task' of this stupid thing had the competitors retrieve a golden egg from a nesting drake?"

FX looked stunned. "Are they stupid? Those things are as temperamental as they come and then add nesting and that's a death wish!" He looked at Harry with a wry smile. "And you managed to do it?"

Harry smiled a toothy grin, "Of course." FX looked at him expectantly. "Oh come on fox, think about it! I've had Lady Ako, Chinthliss, and even Thomas pulling their hair out for years!"

"_You're_ the one! Every damn year I get in trouble for those!" He sat on the bench and pouted. "Every year I get grilled about the open gifts!"

"You shouldn't have blamed me when I was eight!" Harry said with a smile.

"Come on it was Nintendo! I had to try it!" FX pouted.

"Yeah and I got blamed even though I was snug in my bed."

"So how…"

"I thought like a kitsune! A little misdirection, a little illusion… and I just walked up and took the one that didn't belong. The drake was distracted by the crowd so all I needed was to cover my scent and my movement and voila!" he said pointing at the golden egg.

FX blinked at him, "So... Kitsune 101." Harry nodded. "You fooled them all, with that?"

"K.I.S.S. 'Keep it simple stupid'. Besides I had no idea what else I'd need to do so I had to conserve my energy. That seemed important as both the whiskered moron and the bat attacked me."

FX's eyes grew large. "It was no big deal, they both tried to scan my thoughts. Dumbledore both before and after the task, some guy in black before."

"Your shields held?"

"Yeah, barely noticed. Think they both slid right off."

"Any idea why you're here?"

"Not a clue. Although Dumbledore seems like he was hell bent on finding me. I expect he was involved with my entry." His faced hardened. "He was the one that placed me with… _the Dursleys_."

FX shook his head. "I guess you showed him how much that displeased you?"

"Think I broke his jaw," he snickered. "Met a guy named Sirius Black, he says he is my godfather. He was in prison when I was younger, he and the head of their law enforcement say he was innocent. They have been looking for me as well."

"Wonder why they couldn't find you?" FX asked. "It's not like you were hiding. You still even use the last name Potter at school."

"I don't think the people here are exactly… current. Hell none of them even have a phone, even the school doesn't have one." He shrugged, "I think there are several agendas going on here, that's why I asked for Lady Ako.

"I looked at the contract, it was vague but with the cup pulling me here it seemed evident I didn't have much of a choice. I have a feeling they will try to keep me here, and I am not missing the final race of the season or the awards banquet. We've worked too hard."

He stood and walked toward the door. "Keep close if you can but don't get caught. See if you can find me when I find a place to crash for the night, if you can it might let me grab a nap. I am not going to trust any of these yahoos." Then he walked into the hall as FX nodded and faded away.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Stepping out into the hallway brought Harry into the middle of an argument. "I don't care what you think is best Albus, Harry is coming home with me!" said Sirius.

"But he would be with others his age here, that would be for the best. It will help him come to terms with returning," Albus replied.

"And if he does not wish to return?"

"It's what his parents wished for him, his name has been down in the rolls of Hogwarts from just after Lily knew she was with child. It was what they felt was best for him," Albus stated with authority.

"And you would know what is best for me? Just like you knew what was best for me when you left me in that hell-hole of the Dursley's?" Harry said with venom filling his voice, as he approached the arguing pair from behind.

He looked the old man directly in his eyes as he spoke. "Let me ask you something, you whiskered prick, do you have any children?"

"I have been a professor here for over fifty years, I feel that they are all my children in some way," he said, his eyes twinkling.

Harry laughed. "Your own children you moron, family. Fruit of your loins, apple of your eye…. Or are you...?" Harry tilted his hand back and forth.

"And what would that be?" He mimicked the motion.

Harry looked at him oddly. "Gay."

He smiled. "Why yes I am frequently quite gay, but what would that have to do with having a family?"

Harry was once again laughing. "Gay… not gay you idiot. Batting for the other team? You know, homosexual…Do you like guys not girls?" He looked at Sirius. "Just how out of touch are you people?"

Albus sputtered, "I-I-I"

"It doesn't matter, if they were good parents then they would want their child to pursue what they loved, and do well," he said as he turned back to the old man.

"Now let me tell you something. According to the laws of this country, _I AM NO LONGER YOUR CONCERN_. I have a family that takes great care of me, they have allowed me to find something that I am passionate about then helped me pursue it."

"I have some of the top grades in my classes. I have a rewarding career starting, complete with contracts that give me a substantial paycheck. I have feelers from most of the major owners in NASCAR. Hell Fairgrove has even been thinking of forming a team.

"I have worked hard to get where I am, and have further to go. Now here you and your group of backward…" He took a deep breath, and unclenched his hands trying to push back the anger that had been building. "What in the hell do you think you could offer me that would pull me back to a place I was never happier than to get away from?"

Trying to ignore the pain that had returned to his arm, Albus spoke. "It is your home Harry. Your heritage is here. This is where your parents went to school, where they learned to be the great witch and wizard that they were."

Harry looked at Sirius then back at Dumbledore. "Witch and wizard..." Harry broke out in laughter. "You want me to give up everything I have been working for to learn to be a wizard?

"You want me to give up the family that took me in and made me feel wanted. The career that I have spent the last few years working on, the sacrifices that I have lived with to make it happen? To come here and live in the past?"

"But Harry, my b-" Albus stopped himself remembering the boy's displeasure with the phrase. "Here you will learn the magic that is a part of your heritage. The ability to transfigure one object to another, just as your father was so adept at, or the charms and potions your mother excelled in."

"Let me ask you something, Dumbledore. What kind of _education_ does this place offer? How does it compare to the one I'm getting at home? Other than the 'magical' classes? Algebra? Geometry? Physics? Literature? Chemistry? Biology? Computers? World History? Government? What kind of jobs can any of your 'children' expect to have once they have left this _august bastion of education_? Hell this place doesn't even have electricity or phones, that leads me to wonder how well any of you function."

Albus was furious, never had anyone challenged him in this way. How dare he call his school's credentials into question let alone call his sexuality into question. "Now see here…"

"I will not! You drag me halfway around the world with that little cup of yours, then try and tell me that it is 'for the best' that I stay here. You… you old fossil… you lost any right you or even Mr. Black ever may have had the day I was left with the Dursleys." He stepped closer to Albus and poked him in the chest. "Do you have any idea what it was like to live with them?

"If I was so important to you and others, no offence Mr. Black your situation was beyond your control, why did no one come and check on me? I had meetings weekly with Child Protective Services, when I started living with my family. They still come by every four months and check on everything, and the British Consulate calls once a year. What a damn farce!

"As it is, _I_ will make the decision on where I stay." He turned to Sirius. "Did your friend find out when someone from home will be here?"

"My friend, Remus Lupin, said that they will be arriving early tomorrow morning. They have set up a place to meet in the morning at 9:00, then he will bring them to wherever you are staying."

"Did they say who was coming?" Harry asked even though he knew the answer.

"Lady Ako, the woman you asked for and someone named Shar," Sirius replied.

Harry nodded. "With the time change it is still early in the day for me, only late afternoon. What is there to do around here?"

"Truthfully, Harry," Sirius said, "Not much, it's getting late."

Harry looked at his watch and added the time difference. "It's only 10:00! What do you mean it's late?"

Albus spoke up. "Curfew is soon and students are in bed by that time normally."

Harry rolled his eyes. "On the way to bed at 10:00 on a Saturday night? Just another example of why this is not the place for me." He shrugged then said, "But I will take you up on a place to stay for the night."

Albus's eyes brightened. "If you will follow me to my office I'll get you sorted, and then I'll get Madam Pomfrey to bring you a sleeping draught, it will allow you to sleep tonight and deal with the time difference." He turned and began walking down the hallway.

"Now about your sorting, there are four…" He slowed to a stop seeing that Harry was not following him and Sirius was standing next to him chuckling.

Harry looked over at Sirius. "I said I was staying for the night, not sleeping here, and not knowing what is in your sleeping concoction, no thank you, it may be something that would show up on my drug test. Is there a music room? Or a library? I'll find something to entertain myself with."

Albus looked stunned. "Poppy would never give any student something harmful!" he said.

"Oh, I doubt she would, but I have a strict policy on drug use enforced on me, and only a board certified doctor could sign a waiver. As for the lack of sleep? It's not a big deal I'll be home soon." Harry continued, "If Sirius wants to hang around we may even talk a while, I am curious about my parents."

"I'd be honored," said Sirius, placing his hand on the young man's shoulder. "I think we can find somewhere out of the way." The look he gave Albus dared him to say differently.

Albus slowly nodded. "If you insist but I request that you stay together, and please be aware of the Grand Staircases, they can be mischievous at times."

The pair turned and Harry followed Sirius down a different empty hall. Finally they turned into a classroom, Sirius drew his wand and waved it a few times clearing away the dust. He sat on the edge of the desk and conjured a comfortable wingback chair for Harry.

Harry sat. "Nice, comfy too. Thank you."

Sirius waved the compliment off, and smiled. "Ok out with it, why did you choose to stay here tonight? And don't give me any half answer, I know the look you had when you were talking to the headmaster. It was the same one your mother had when she had a plan." Harry smiled lightly. "One that was going to bring hell down on someone's unsuspecting head."

"Really? You must have known her very well then, my family misses it all the time." The smile had grown into a smirk. "The only person that called it on me before is my pit chief, as the look usually ends with someone in the wall."

Sirius looked at him, so Harry explained with a sigh. "Usually it starts as a… _disagreement _with another driver." He shrugged a little. "I never start it but I have been known to finish it in a spectacular fashion.

"But this, well… why should I want to avoid the explosion that is bound to happen when they arrive? Seeing me first will just make them focus on me, if I'm here they will focus on the threat first…that would be the man that is presently stewing in his office. Chances are he won't sleep, or at least won't sleep well. I'll just present the facts and let them go, in the Great Hall during lunch. Instant fireworks."

Sirius nodded. "Ok, so I guess they are a part of your family then?" Harry nodded, Sirius laughed a little. "Yes it will be funny to see him dressed down in front of everyone, too bad they can't use more than words."

Harry nodded. "It will be fun though. Anyway, tell me about my parents."

"First how about you tell me how you managed to get that egg?" Sirius said.

"I told you, I walked over and took it," he said with a smile.

"Harry, come on," he pleaded.


	12. Chapter 12

Again I own Nothing!

Thanks to Pazed for the edit.

As a note I am very ill at the moment, and will most probably be in the hospital soon, I may be a few extra days before I am up to writing again. I'll be back as soon as possible.

**Chapter 12**

Her name was Hermione Granger, she loved magic, her parents, and her few friends. When she was first told that she, the daughter of a pair of well-to-do dentists, was a witch and could do magic she was immediately smitten. A lot of people would have been, but she was not most people. It was not the power, or the abilities magic offered, it wasn't being able to turn a teacup into a rose, or flip her wand and create a chair from nothing (even if it would not last). No, it was two things that drew her more than anything, knowledge that not many had, and the possibility that she would belong.

All of her young life she had been teased for her love of books. Her mother had brushed off the teasing saying 'Never you mind, someday they will know better and you will be ahead in the game', while her father likened it to having her pigtails dunked in the inkwell, or a chance for character building. It wasn't that her parents didn't love her she knew that they did, it just seemed to her that they did not understand, and it hurt. Something had always been different about her, and when she was told about magic she was sure that that was it! She jumped at the chance, and badgered her parents relentlessly for the decision she so desperately wanted.

They wanted their little girl happy, and this for the first time seemed to be a ray of hope to bring that happiness. Finally they agreed, and were taken by the Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall to the oddly named Diagon Alley. There they were introduced to a strange world right out of a fairytale; you could fly on a broom, mix smoking potions in a cauldron (complete with eye of newt!), send post using an owl, and read many forms of mystical tomes.

Their little girl's eyes lit with an unmistakable fire, she wanted to know! She wanted to learn all about this magical world.

All of that had changed once she had arrived within the stone walls of this drafty old castle that was called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The first day had spiraled downhill from the beginning, though there were still parts she remembered fondly. Her disillusion started while still standing in the station in London, her parents couldn't see her on to the train because the magic protecting it from the eyes of the world did not recognize the non-magical parents of a new student. Leaving her to enter onto the platform and board the train alone. She rationalized it was important to enforce the Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. She had read they were a set of laws that the magical world followed to protect itself from non-magicals, or as they were known _muggles_.

The ride was long, seven hours, and rather boring. She helped a boy search for a toad, introduced herself to… well just about everyone. Observed people doing magic, and playing odd games… then she met Malfoy.

Draco Malfoy was short, thin, pale skinned, and bleached blond. He carried himself with an arrogance that she had seen many times, he was a bully. With his small stature he would not have posed much of a threat but he came equipped with two hulking bodyguards that looked as if they had been held back at least five grades. Their dark eyes seemed to reflect no intelligence and they rarely spoke, but the slightest gesture from Malfoy put them in instant motion. He had money, he had muscle, and his father's political clout and as it turned out he was also a bigot.

She had learned quickly that where the outside world had bigotry, its lines drawn mostly by skin color or religion, the wizarding world had it as well. Only theirs was drawn by blood purity, how many generations _both_ sides of your family had been magical. And in this world the law offered little deterrence, and less protection.

Because of his father and his money, Malfoy was untouchable. She had seen him, deliberately, sabotage others in potions class (which his head of house taught), and magically assault students in the hallways. He was a bully plain and simple. Too bad he was not the only one.

Every house had some, Gryffindor had the Weasleys (though some called the twins pranksters, to her it was still bullying), Ravenclaw had Edgecome and her group, Hufflepuff had Zacharias Smith, among a few. It was a sad truth, but somehow she had hoped that this world would be better, free of such things.

The last vestige of hope that she had for this world broke that year on Halloween. Ron Weasley, the boy was a pig, food stains all over his clothes, hair uncombed, had sat next to her in Charms class. During the lecture he had doodled in his book, eaten an apple, played like his wand was a broom and just stared at her, he had done anything other than pay attention to the professor. When it was time to do the practical part of class he had waved his wand in great loops and yelled the incantation repeatedly, causing her to duck out of the way to keep him from putting her eye out.

Soon she had had enough, grabbed his arm and made him stop. She then corrected his pronunciation and wand movements. He, by way of thanking her, had turned red at that point and begun yelling at her. Challenging her to do it if she was so great, and she did.

She directed her now floating feather around the room, much to the delight of the professor, who awarded her house points for 'exemplary work!' On the way out of class she heard exactly what her so called housemate, Ron, thought of her and her help, the other boys agreed.

She ran, once again she was not accepted. She spent the rest of the day in the second floor women's restroom, trying to figure out how to tell her parents this had been a horrible mistake and she wanted to come home.

Her next memory was waking a day later in the hospital ward. Both her legs had been shattered, along with her pelvis and right arm. A magical creature, a mountain troll, had somehow entered the school and found its way to the restroom she was in and… they said she was lucky.

It never felt that way, they had regrown the bones, using some form of potions, and had her out of the hospital wing soon after. She still felt the effects, her legs ached when it rained, they said it was her imagination. She knew it was real.

She told them she wanted to go home, she was done with this place. That was when she was presented with a harsh reality, if she were to leave her and her family's memories of the magical world would be removed. They would mess around in her brain! It was the one thing she counted on, her most treasured thing outside her family.

So, she stayed, they offered to re-sort her into a different house and she accepted, but she expected little out of Ravenclaw. When she took her OWLS, Ordinary Wizarding Levels, she would be out of here and they could not legally alter her mind. So she studied, if she had to take them she would do them perfectly.

It was not till the next year she met someone she called friend, a tiny blond girl entered that year, she had large steel grey eyes, and wore radishes as earrings. When she was sorted at the feast she almost seemed to float to the Ravenclaw table, she spoke of odd creatures and seemed not to notice the odd looks that came her way.

It was mid-winter when Hermione found her walking alone in the hall outside of the common room trying to keep warm, no cloak, no shoes, and still in her nightgown. She immediately forgot her own needs, she had been on her way to the hospital wing for personal reasons, and pulled the young girl into the room and near the warm fire. From that day on she kept an eye on the younger girl, and by the year's end she held a special place in her heart for her. The younger sister she never had, Luna Lovegood.

Other than class it was rare to see them separate, meals, studying, they were always at each other's side. They had been good for one another, Hermione's adopted place as big sister gave the younger girl a solid anchor in the world, one that had been lost when her mother had passed when she was nine, her father being not much help in that regard as she had been his anchor as well. As for Luna, she provided Hermione a reason to be, one that was not tied to books, one that gave her a connection to people. She protected Hermione from herself, as much as Hermione protected Luna from others.

Today was different however, Hermione walked alone toward the Great Hall, as Luna had been up late writing an article for her father's paper, the Quibbler, a first-hand account of the Tri-Wizard Tournament's first event. Once Hermione had proof-read it this morning Luna had sent her on ahead to breakfast while she sent it out via owl post.

It was still very early, almost seven, as she walked through the corridors while quietly ticking off the things she needed to do today from the list she kept in her head. Being forced to attend that stupid tournament had disrupted her schedule, but this being Sunday she thought she could get ba… back?

She heard something she had never heard within these walls before, a lone guitar and voice…. She smiled, and muttered quietly, "Elvis, is in the building." She turned at the next corner following the song.

**Walk a Mile In My Shoes: Elvis Presley**

If I could be you, if you could be me  
For just one hour, if we could find a way  
To get inside each other's mind  
If you could see you through my eyes  
Instead your own ego I believe you'd be  
I believe you'd be surprised to see  
That you've been blind

Walk a mile in my shoes  
just walk a mile in my shoes  
Before you abuse, criticize and accuse  
Then walk a mile in my shoes

Now if we spend the day  
Throwin' stones at one another  
'Cause I don't think, 'cause I don't think  
Or wear my hair the same way you do  
Well, I may be common people  
But I'm your brother  
And when you strike out  
You're tryin' to hurt me  
It's hurtin' you, Lord HAVE mercy

Walk a mile in my shoes  
just walk a mile in my shoes  
Before you abuse, criticize and accuse  
Then walk a mile in my shoes

Now there are people on reservations  
And out in the ghetto  
And brother there, but, for the grace of God  
Go you and I,  
If I only had wings of a little angel  
Don't you know, I'd fly  
To the top of a mountain  
And then I'd cry, cry, cry

Walk a mile in my shoes  
just walk a mile in my shoes  
Before you abuse, criticize and accuse  
Then walk a mile in my shoes


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Hermione was standing in the doorway of the music room as the song finished. It was not a room she had been to often, only once or twice, as music was not even an elective at Hogwarts.

The man before her sat strumming random chords on an acoustic guitar, his back to her, in the same red and white jumpsuit, although it did look cleaner. It had been a cool night so the view afforded the day before was lost.

"Am I in your way?" he asked spinning around on the desk to face her. "I hope I wasn't playing too loud, did someone complain?"

A confused look crossed her face. "Huh?.. Oh, no. Well… You see…" She took a deep breath, let it out and began again. "No, no one complained. I was on my way to breakfast when I heard you playing. I've never heard anyone playing an Elvis song here."

Harry smiled. "I'm impressed, most people don't recognize it as an Elvis tune. I guess it's too deep a cut."

"Blame my grandfather," she said moving to sit down across from him. "He was stationed near a bunch of Yanks when he was in the Royal Navy. He brought a lot of Elvis music home with him, and my father, he's a dentist, both my parents are…dental surgeons, and he became quite the fan."

"Yanks?... Oh, you mean Americans, not Yankees." Harry chuckled, "Got to love the different terms." Again confusion shone on her face. "Yankees is a term in the south for anyone born north of the Mason-Dixon line… It's not important. I just need to remember all the slang here is different."

She nodded her understanding, her father had given her some examples once. "I'm Hermione Granger," she said sticking out her hand.

He slid the guitar onto the desk and took her hand. "Pleasure to meet you. Harry Potter."

"Harry Potter… I read about you… before I started school."

An awkward silence hung in the air, till Harry asked, "Um... Could you explain something to me?" He stood and walked to a wooden shelf and pulled free a piece of parchment filled with music. "Why in the world is there a part written for toads?" He handed it to her.

A small smile crossed her face, "Toad choir…"

He had started chuckling. "You have got to be kidding… toad choir?"

"Yes," she said chuckling herself. "As silly as it sounds, toad choir. Neville Longbottom tried out for it in our second year. Till he found out his toad, Trevor, is evidently quite tone deaf."

He laughed harder at that, the idea of a tone deaf toad was just too odd. "And your toad?"

She made a sour look. "No toads in my home thank you! I have the cutest ginger cat, Crookshanks, he's upstairs somewhere. Most probably sleeping."

"They just let you bring your pets to school?" he asked surprised.

"Each student shall be permitted, one pet. An Owl, Cat or Toad," she stated as if reading it directly from the source. She shook her head. "Although that seems to not really be the case, Lee Jordan has a pet spider, _Ronald Weasley…_" she spat the name, "had a rat, horrible thing. It is rumored that there are others."

"So the rules here are rather… fluid?" he asked.

"That is one way of putting it. More that they only apply if you aren't one of the favored," she said sounding bitter.

"And you are not one of the favored I take it?" he asked shifting to face her more easily.

"My parents are dentists, doesn't that say it all?" she said becoming agitated. "But then again I forgot who I am talking to, the ultimate in the privileged, Harry Potter. Taught by the hand chosen of the Great Dumbledore…"

"Whoa… Hold it there little Miss! I have never had any thing to do with that whiskered prick till yesterday! And I'll have you know that I never wanted any part of this world, or to set foot in Britain _EVER AGAIN!_ I don't have any idea what crawled up your ass, but it has nothing to do with me! He has had nothing to do with my life! Just because you read about me don't expect it to be true!"

He stood and stalked closer, "I do _not_ live in the UK! I do _NOT_ own a wand! I do _not_ want to be here!" he said within inches of her face.

She looked deep in his eyes searching for deception, and finally broke her gaze away from his blazing green glare. "I guess that makes two of us," she said quietly, her face reddening from embarrassment.

He backed up a step. "You don't want to be here?"

She nodded. "When I first heard of magic I was thrilled, I hoped it would be the change I was wanting for, but it has become a nightmare. Now I'm trapped here till the end of my fifth year."

"Trapped? How?" he asked.

"My parents are muggles," she said with a shrug.

He looked at her confused. "So? What's a muggle?"

"What's a mug... You really don't live here do you?"

"No, Charlotte, North Carolina," he said with a crooked smile.

"Muggles are non-magicals, normal people. Like my parents." She paused a moment and collected her thoughts. "They have no standing in the magical world, no way to be represented by the law, and my being their child has left us in a bind… You see, when a witch or wizard is born into a non-magical family the laws require the child to attend magical schooling. Otherwise the child's magic is bound, and the family's memories are altered to remove any knowledge of the magical world."

He saw the sadness in her face, then said, "Let me guess, if you want to leave after you've started the rules are the same? And you spend, what seven… eight months a year here? All of that would be wiped away, with little or no explanation just large gaps."

Her eyes were filled with tears, as she nodded. "It is closer to nine, but yes, you need to understand I love to learn… and that… that could be the worst for me. Not to mention I am so far behind in my schooling. I'm taking classes in the summer, but I need to keep going here till after my O.W.L.S. then I'll be free of this place."

He looked disgusted. "And why would they do something like that?"

"For protection." She stood and walked to the blackboard, and fiddled with a piece of chalk as she spoke. "They want to stay hidden from the world, they say that everyone would want magical answers for their problems. It would lead to pandemonium if the world knew."

"So they hide…" He shook his head. "They seem to be lost in time, gas lights, candles, for god's sake they use parchment and quills."

She laughed. "That's just the half of it, brass scales in potions class, our telescope is less than a twenty power, no forms of electricity at all, and believe it or not we ride a steam train seven hours from London every time term changes.

"And the classes," she continued. "The worst is _Muggle Studies_, to them a car is still an oddity, airplanes are nearly unknown and the professor keeps calling electricity 'eltectisity', and has no idea about anything past the year 1910 or so. Then there is Binns, the _ghost_ that teaches History, he speaks in a complete monotone and reads exactly what is in the book, rumor has it he has done that for years, and he never even acknowledges a question.

"And then there is Professor Snape, he _teaches_ potions." She dusted off her hands and sat again. "The man is beyond insufferable. His teaching style consists of, 'The instructions are on the board you have X amount of time, begin!', then he wanders through the class belittling, and yelling at the students for being dunderheads because they did something incorrect.

"But the other classes aren't all bad, I like Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall knows her stuff, as does Professor Flitwick our Charms Professor. With the two electives I kept, Arithmancy and Runes, it keeps me busy, although I'm not sure what I am going to do with a background in Runes or base seven math after I leave."

Harry chuckled, "Take up theoretical mathematics?"

She smiled, "Who thought that any of those odd maths would apply to anything like magic?"

"We had a guest lecturer once in my advanced Algebra class," Harry said. "He told us that they may not know how some of their maths apply yet but they do because the math works. Most of that is beyond me, I tend to be more of a physics person. Thing A broke. Why? How do we keep it from happening again? Very linear."

"I would think it would be more like, I broke thing A! How do I fix it so no one notices? Then how do I keep it from happening again," she said with a cheeky smile.

"Nope, not in my line of work," he said matching her grin. "That can get a person killed, first rule is something always breaks. It may be from user error, me, or we may need a better quality raw material, or a better design. Those things happen and need to be addressed by the team."

"I didn't mean..."

"No, its not a problem. At one time you would have been right, and it took a long time for me to understand your team… your family is important, and the things that they want the most are for you to be safe, and to support you in your choices and life."

He stood and offered her a hand to help her stand. "You said something about breakfast? How about we go find something to eat?" He walked out the door calling over his shoulder, "You coming?"

She hurried to the door and stopped as she turned the corner. "Don't you need to put up the guit…" She looked at the place he had set the guitar he had been playing earlier… and it was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

Albus sat at his desk, a position that once afforded him a great deal of satisfaction. As head of Hogwarts he was able to see the future walking in the halls around him. He loved this place and all of the children that had walked these halls more than anything. His children, his life, he had given everything to them.

He could remember the day he first walked these very halls as a student, he had… borrowed his older cousin's books over the years, and was at a third year level before he was ever sorted. He was hailed as a prodigy, and kept up that illusion by staying ahead.

He spent years living up to that expectation, and after his final showdown with his one-time friend Gellert Grindelwald in the final days of the war, Wizarding Europe turned to him to help them rebuild. He did. He took on the jobs with the same determination he had shown in his youth, helping to rebuild the Wizengamot, allowing seats fallen vacant to be taken over by younger families to fill out their rolls, and taking its lead role as Chief Warlock to help quell any disputes.

Next he organized and participated in the first meetings of the International Wizards Council. Again he was asked to take its head, as Chief Mugwump, to help smooth over any issues. He agreed readily, willing to give of himself to his fellow wizards.

He was proud to do so, and finally when the elderly headmaster of Hogwarts, Armando Dippet, handed him the headmaster's office he felt that his life was complete. Everything he had dreamt of had come to pass, and his legacy would live on.

Then his one failure had come… Lord Voldemort, Tom Riddle. Albus still did not understand how things had gone so very wrong. He had met with the orphan when he was first invited to Hogwarts, and knew immediately that he was going to be a powerful wizard. He was extremely intelligent, and magic came to him as if it was second nature.

When Tom came to the castle he devoured the lessons, he could always be found researching or practicing. He was a devoted student, always quick to grasp the next concept and able to push beyond by sheer intuition to the next. He would be the crowning jewel, the legacy made flesh!

At the end of the first year young Tom had begged to be allowed to stay in the castle. This was of course denied, Albus knew that the young man needed time to be a child as well. Time with his peers, and even though he lived in an orphanage that was as good a place as possible, as he was surrounded by other children, he had people there that cared for him, and he was safe. Time away would do him good and help him develop the personal skills that would allow him to lead the future generation.

Every year he asked again, and Albus explained that it was for the best and he returned to the orphanage. It was for his own good.

He graduated at the top of his class, and Albus knew that he had set him on the path to greatness. He would be the next shining ray of the Light, he had developed into a leader among the students, a prefect every year, even a special award in service of the school! Albus had so wished to make him Head Boy, but it was better that he know humility so he had, in the end, chosen another.

Two years after his graduation Tom had returned to Hogwarts to apply as the instructor of his beloved Defense Against the Dark Arts. Albus had felt it necessary to reject his application. He had explained that he was just not suited for the position. Albus knew he would return and the next time Tom would be seasoned enough to become a professor and Albus would guide him into one of the fields that he selected for him. Tom would be set to attain the greatness Albus knew was within him.

The next time Albus laid eyes on this favored student he was a twisted and angry man, he had lost his way and drifted into the dark arts. Albus tried everything he could think of during those dark times to bring his student back to the light, to be the beacon he had dreamed of.

All of that ended the night he visited the Potters. Albus had warned them they were in danger, hidden them away trying to buy time to bypass the fate that had set its sights on Tom, but his efforts were undone. A fateful betrayal, by a one time friend of the Potters, set events in motion that saw young Harry orphaned that night.

In a flash of insight, he understood the true meaning! Destiny was giving him a second chance! If he set young Harry to live in the muggle world with Lily's family he could erect blood wards using her sacrifice! He would be safe until he was old enough for Albus to take into hand! Harry would be smart like his mother, powerful like his father, and with the correct planning the Wizarding World would have a new Light, humble, intelligent, hardworking. Harry would be the legacy!

But… How quickly those plans had come undone. So he sat here in his once favorite chair of the many he held, trying to find a way to get Harry to understand that he was the light of the future. He was the one that they would all someday turn to. That his calling was to be the legacy of Albus Wulfric Percival Brian Dumbledore!

It may have taken all night to prepare the documents and get them submitted for the special session that he had called of the Wizengamot on Monday, but with the help of the Minister for Magic they would welcome back the lost son of Lily and James Potter to his home.

Now, if he could only remember what he had done with his Lemon Drops.


	14. Chapter 14

As usual, I own nothing.

Thanks to the amazing pazed for everything!

READ! ENJOY! REVIEW!

**Chapter 14**

The bell rang three times then a voice came over the intercom. "Ladies we are on our final approach, please remain seated, make sure your seat belts are securely fastened and lock your chairs in their original position. Local time is 7:05 and the temperature is a cool 48 degrees, 9 Celsius."

Shar looked out the small window. 'London,' she thought, 'I hoped I'd not see this city for a while longer.' Memories bubbled up in her mind, flickers of family courtrooms, arguments, the criminal trial. She sighed, they had worked so hard to put what had happened here behind them.

Her mother, Tannim and his adopted family had been there every step, supporting her in any way they could. Just like they were now, she thought as she sat in Keighvin's Learjet. He had had it prepped and the flight plan filed before they had reached the airport, and if she knew him at all he was pulling other strings to be sure anything they could need was close at hand.

The moment she had laid eyes on Harry she knew her life had changed, in seconds her previously nonexistent mothering instincts went into overdrive. The sight of that frail, scared and lonely child melted her heart, while the injuries he hid fired her will to protect him. Somehow in those first moments she had taken a large leap toward motherhood.

Her mother stretched, smooth almost cat like. She smiled at her daughter, her red hair shining like fire as the sun hit it through the window. Her eyes seemed to sparkle, their jade green glowing vividly. One of the best traits she had inherited from her, if she said so herself. If only she had also got the hair color as well. Though her raven wing black hair was nice too, and it matched Harry's making them look like a blood related family, something that made her ecstatic when someone said something about it.

"Worry not, he will be fine daughter."

She smiled, she couldn't help it, some how her mother always knew. "How bad do you think it is?"

Lady Ako chuckled lightly. "He is yours and Tannim's son, and if he is anything like you two he is up to his neck." She watched as her daughter deflated a little. "But, also like you he has a family that will stand by him, willing and able to help however we can."

Lady Ako reached over and grasped her hand. "We know that he was alright as of when we spoke to Mr. Lupin, We will be with him soon, and then we will work this out together."

Shar nodded slowly. "Ok," she said still worried.

* * *

English breakfast, he never could get used to it. Who had beans with breakfast? Then again this was a country that thought of kidney pie as food. Thankfully, this was a form of buffet, the long table was piled high with breakfast foods, pastries, oatmeal, eggs, toast, bacon and sausage. So he was able to avoid having things on his plate he wasn't going to eat.

He supposed it was because it was Sunday, but the Great Room played host to few this morning. Though most of the students from the visiting schools were there, it seemed most of the Hogwarts students preferred to sleep in.

He was pleased to see one of the other competitors sitting at the table Hermione was directing him toward, "Good morning Fleur, I hope you are feeling less singed this morning."

"Yes, Mr. Potter, thank you for your concern," she said studying him intently.

"It's Harry, Fleur." He looked at Hermione as they sat, she waved at a petite blond entering and motioned for Harry to sit across from Fleur.

Hermione introduced the girl as she sat, "Harry this is Luna Lovegood, my best friend, Luna..."

The small blond interrupted, and plopped into the seat across from Hermione. "Hello Harry Potter…" She trailed off as she looked at him, her eyes, that reminded him of pools of molten silver, took on a vacant expression. "Hmm… that name… odd, it fits, yet it doesn't." She then smiled happily and filled her plate.

Breakfast passed with the group talking quietly, Fleur only stumbled a few times over her use of the English language. Unfortunately it wasn't to last.

"A mudblood, a loon, and a half-breed. Harry Potter comes to Hogwarts, and this is all he can find to have a meal with." Harry looked up at the offensive person, the first thing that came to mind was, 'how much crap do you need in your hair to turn it into a helmet?'

"Wow, an albino!" Well he did look very pale, with that fair skin and blond hair. "….No it's just a bleach blond…my mistake." He looked at Fleur. "Any idea what he is talking about?"

"My father said you had been raised by muggles, and knew nothing of our world. He said you did not even own a wand, how pathetic," the blond quipped.

"Your father?" Harry tilted his head and adopted a thinking pose complete with fist under his chin. His eyes scrunched up as if thinking _real_ hard. "Is he a kind of tall guy, helmet of white hair, carries a cane with a silver topper of some kind…"

"Yes that is my father, Lucius Malfoy!" The young man puffed his chest with pride.

"Looks constipated…" The boy's face reddened. "Nope don't know him."

"You had better watch yourself Potter, and know who your betters are."

"And I suppose that would be you? I don't think so." Harry looked over the person he now thought of as Prissy boy, and at the two gorillas he had brought as backup. "You needed someone to hold your hand to even waltz your ass over and try and pick a fight. Not that you could, you probably need their help to pick your nose."

The boy looked as if he had been struck, and the great hall had fallen silent. "I don't care about you or your daddy issues, and if you thought this ridiculous display was going to get a rise out of me and make you look like the big dick on campus, you failed! Look around, all you did end up looking like was a little prick."

The boy glanced around the room, everyone was glaring at him. "Let me give you some advice, if you are going to get into a battle of wits then you had better be sure you are armed."

"When my father hears ab…"

Harry waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Yeah… Yeah… go tell someone who cares." then went back to his breakfast.

When he looked up again prissy boy was gone. His eyes moved to his companions. Fleur's shoulders were shaking as she tried to hold in her laughter, Hermione was trying to catch flies in her open mouth, while Luna…. ate pudding… pistachio pudding….?

Hermione quickly regained her composure. "_Harry!_ You shouldn't have done that! Draco Malfoy's father is a powerful man! He could…"

"Hermione, you forget, I. Don't. Live. Here. I'm a US citizen, and he has about as much power at home as a gnat. Now anyone want to explain what he thought he was insulting me about?" Harry asked as he buttered a piece of toast.

Hermione looked at Fleur nervously, only to see an odd almost… predatory? look on her face as she looked at Harry. Luna spoke up, after licking her now empty spoon. "The loony is me… people don't think of me well. Hermione is the mudblood, referring to her non-magical parentage. As for the half-breed, I think he meant Ms. Delacour," she said waving the spoon in her general direction. "Although he's wrong, she is pure. Oh, pooh. No more pudding!" she said tilting the bowl beyond her plate.

Fleur's head snapped to the young blond, "How did..."

"I love to study the unusual and the exotic, my father and I are currently looking for the lost colony of Crumple Horned Snorkacks, we think that the colony is someplace in Scandinavia, that's where we are going this summer.

Harry looked at both of them. "Ok, I'm lost."

Hermione chuckled, "That's easy around Luna." She took over the explanation as Luna moved off down the table, looking for more pudding presumably. "It took me forever but I finally got her to explain it once, her family searches for animals that are even considered legends in the magical world, I guess they are kind of like xeno-biologists. You know, 'hunting for the Loch Ness monster and such'."

Harry nodded his head, Hermione's eyes drifted to her friend with a sad look. "Her parents used to take trips with her when she was younger, and after her mother passed I think it is one of the only ways she and her father can connect. Every year they go on these trips, and while I know she loves to go with him and to search for her lost animals… it's hard on her too. She always seems a little more… Luna than normal at the beginning of the year." She looked at him to see if he understood.

He just gave her a lopsided grin as Fleur spoke. "How did she know of my heritage?"

"That's all Luna," Hermione said looking back. "When she saw the article in my copy of the Prophet, the one about the wand weighing, and about your wand being made of your grandmother's hair she just laughed and said that there was no such thing as a quarter Veela. You are either Veela or you are not."

Fleur nodded, amazed that someone outside the families understood that. Harry looked back and forth between them. "Veela?"

Fleur looked down, at her now empty plate. "Yes, I'm a Veela."

"Ok, you say that like it's a bad thing," Harry said.

Fleur looked up at him, he just sat looking at her waiting for an explanation. "I'm not human, I am one of the Veela."

"So?"

Hermione took over. "You need to excuse him Ms. Delacour, I don't think he understands about Veela." She turned her head to explain what she knew of Veela. "Veela aren't quite human, they are… different. From what Luna told me," she looked at Fleur for confirmation, "They are a magical race, that lives alongside our own. They are known for their exceptional beauty, grace, and for something called the Allure, the natural ability to influence men in close proximity. She also said to be careful never to push a Veela into a rage… it would be most unpleasant. And coming from Luna… I'd tend to believe that would be an understatement."

Fleur looked uncomfortable. "It is not like we can control men, it just makes us more attractive to them, and there is a down side as well. Women tend to respond badly to us, anger, jealousy, the feelings range. It is said that it depends on the type of relationship the woman is in, and how secure she is in it." She smiled a little. "Unpleasant would be an understatement. I have yet to reach the final stage of my maturity, so I will not be hurling any fireballs in anger."

Hermione looked stunned. "That was true?"

"Most definitely! Father said mother did it once when I was very small. She killed both the men, they wanted to kidnap a Delacour, preferably me."

"Why would they want to kidnap you?" Harry asked.

"My father is a powerful man, he holds much sway in our government, and is well respected," she said with no small amount of pride.

She continued, "What I don't understand is, how Harry and Luna seem to be unaffected." She looked at Hermione, "I thank you for your effort, I try to keep the Allure at bay, but some still… leaks. I can see you struggling with it."

"It's ok, I just keep reminding myself that this is a compulsion, and not deliberate," Hermione replied. "As for Luna who knows? When the Defense professor had a Boggart in for them to study this year, it just came out in jumbled images, then a scream came from it and… well now it won't come out of its container." She then looked at Harry.

"Don't look at me! I don't have a clue. No offence Fleur, you are very pretty, but… well you don't seem any different than any other beautiful woman." Her eyes widened.

"Truthfully, you feel nothing? No pull at all?" she asked.

"No," he said shaking his head. "You just look like another nice looking woman to me, just like Hermione." Hermione's head shot in his direction. "Or Sue Bones," he said, pointing at the red head at the next table. He waved at her and she waved back.

* * *

The car dropped them off at the address they had been given, they stood looking at a small bookstore. "Well _this_ is the address," Shar said, "but somehow I think _that_," she pointed to the building next door, "is where we will be going."

The sign above the rundown store front said _The Leaky Cauldron_. Lady Ako replied, "You are probably correct. It is almost time. I expect our guide will be here shortly."

As if on cue, a man walked out of the front door under the sign. He was fairly tall, and had a graying head of hair. His clothing had once been nice but was now going threadbare from wear. His eyes reflected on him as a man that had had a rough life. Whatever had worn on him had taken a toll.

Remus Lupin was happy this morning, he had gotten one of his best friends back, and now the lost child of his other best friend had been found! Even the burden he carried as a werewolf seemed light today! Life had been hard on him the past thirteen years, but it seemed to be getting better, even if it had seen Harry entered into that stupid tournament.

He was almost whistling as he stepped out onto the street, and turned to walk to the place he had told them he would meet them.

He stuttered to a stop. There in front of him stood two women, in muggle clothing, the first with raven black hair and jade green eyes, while the other had matching eyes but fox red hair. If he didn't know better he would have thought he was looking at the Evans family, Harry's mother and Aunt. They looked so much like Lily's family it was uncanny.

He gathered himself and continued to approach. "Good morning. I take it one of you is Lady Ako?" The red head nodded. "Then you must be Shar." He offered his hand, it was taken by the dark haired woman.

"Yes I am Shar." Her sense of smell flared, he was up wind of them and his scent hit her hard. He had a scent of wildness. The deep woods… a wolf! He was not human, this man was a were. "This is my mother, the Lady Ako." She gestured to her mother, a further gesture clouded their scent, he would only expect to smell human so that is exactly what he would smell.

"Your _mother?_" He looked perplexed, she looked so young! "Surely not! Sister certainly, but not mother!" he said with a grin. "Welcome to London. If you will come with me we will be on our way, and you will need to take my hand." He held his hands out. "The entrance to our world is hidden nearby, to keep muggles from wandering in.

Shar asked, taking his hand again then her mother's, "How long will it take to get to this school?"

"Not long, we'll floo from here, to the town of Hogsmead. Then it is a short walk to the grounds of the castle.

Once they were inside the building he released her hand. "Welcome to The Leaky Cauldron." He gestured to the surrounding room. "A great pub, with excellent food, and lodging is available upstairs."

The pair of women looked around quickly. It disgusted them, the wood tables were dirty, and stained with lord knew what. The floors were worn, and they had mud, long dried, on them from when someone had tracked it in. A man sat eating some form of stew out of a wooden bowl, he turned it upside down on the table when he finished and juices leaked onto the floor.

The bartender spoke up. "Well that was quick Remus! Welcome to my pub, I'm Tom." He wiped his hands on the dirty rag he had around his neck. "If you need anything just let me know, and when you come back through be sure to stop by and say hello." They both smiled, and continued to follow Remus.

"They were easy to find and right on time, so no worries." He waved at the man.

"That reminds me, Remus. Stop by next week, I'll have something for you," said Tom smiling at the group.

Remus smiled sheepishly. "Thanks Tom, can always count on you coming through."

"Always for a good friend."

"This way Ladies." He led them to the far side of the room, to a large fireplace. "This is a public access floo, most people use it when visiting Diagon Alley." He gestured to an archway at the rear of the pub. "You go through there, and… well just ask Tom he'll get you in, you need to be magical to open the passageway."

He reached in his pocket and pulled out a handful of coins. He selected three silver coins and put them in a glass jar on the mantle, then offered an explanation. "Wizard's currency." He picked out three coins and put the rest back in his pocket. "The bronze one is called a knut, there are twenty-nine knuts to a silver sickle, and seventeen sickles to a gold Galleon. How that is converted to muggle money fluctuates, but it's usually around a Fiver to a Galleon. If you need Wizard money you will need to go to Gringotts, the bank, it's at the far end of the alley. A large white building, no chance you'll miss it. Harry should have access to his trust account there if you need as well." The women made a mental note to find out more about that.

"A local floo, the city for example is three knuts, it gets higher the further you need to go. Here to Hogsmead is a sickle, a lot of people use that one as it is the only fully wizarding town in the country. You'll need to take a pinch of the powder from the green pot, then throw it into the fire. Then say 'The Three Broomsticks' clearly and step in. Keep your elbows tucked in."

Five minutes later found them in Scotland, cursing one of the most used modes of transportation for magical England.


	15. Chapter 15

I own nothing!

A big thanks goes to pazed!

Read! Enjoy! Review!

**Chapter 15**

"Welcome to Hogsmeade," said Amelia. "I hope your trip wasn't too bad, floo travel tends to be a little rough." She waved her wand and the soot disappeared from their clothing. She was impressed by the pair of women. Their first time through and they both kept their feet coming out of the fireplace, a task still difficult for many after using the floo for years. "I'm Amelia Bones, head of the Department for Magical Law Enforcement. This is Sirius Black, Harry's Godfather. You've met Remus Lupin." She ushered them toward the door.

Amelia looked them over with an appraising eye as they stepped outside while she held the door. Both were beautiful and the family resemblance was strong, sisters perhaps? The dark haired one stood slightly in front as if protecting the red head, older sister she thought to herself. While they both projected confidence, the redhead seemed to exhibit an almost regal air.

The dark haired woman spoke. "I'm Shar, this is my mother…"

Sirius's eyes widened and he looked at Remus, and mouthed, "Mother?" Remus shrugged as they began their walk through Hogsmeade.

"…the Lady Ako," Shar said gesturing to the woman with bright red hair.

Sirius looked back at them. "Amazing, if I didn't know better I'd swear I was looking at Lily's family. You look more like her than her sister Petunia did, any day."

Shar looked at him, anger evident. "You know, _Petunia_?" she spat.

Sirius unconsciously took a small step away. "I met her once, at Lily and James's wedding. I think she was there only because Lily's parents forced her and Vernon to come."

"You're the one that went to prison?" Shar asked her eyes accusing.

Sirius looked down unwilling to meet her gaze. "I did… I failed Harry and the best friends a man could ever have that night." He took a deep breath. "The only explanation I can offer is the same one I told Harry, I was young and stupid." He looked up at her. "I was grieving the people I thought of as family… and chose vengeance. I thought Harry would be safe, he was being taken to a man we all trusted with our lives. Then everything went pear shaped."

Amelia continued, "We all thought that it was Sirius that had betrayed the Potters. When he was found he was in the middle of the remains of a neighborhood, the gas lines were destroyed along with most of the homes. Thirteen people were killed, he was incoherent and babbling that it was his fault." She looked at Sirius sadly. "He was thrown into Azkaban, our prison, that night. No interrogation. No Trial. Nothing."

She looked back at the women. "You need to understand, we were at war, and the Potters were… special. Highly thought of in the community." She smiled softly. "Friends to almost everyone, they had become a symbol… Heroes. And after their deaths… No one thought twice as their betrayer was locked away."

Sirius continued, "With me locked away, and with Voldie gone… Our world wanted to put it all behind them. So I sat there… for twelve years." He looked away. "I regretted my choice everyday."

Shar looked hard at the man, then nodded, then her eyes narrowed. "Do any thing to hurt Harry, and I'll make that prison look like a summer vacation spot."

Somehow Sirius knew that was not a threat but a promise.

She then looked at Amelia. "What I want to know is how Harry fell through the cracks. When he came to us he was barely thirty pounds, and he had been habitually abused. He didn't even know his own name till he started school, and that only happened because he had been seen working in _their_ yard. It took us years to get to where we are now." She was working herself into a good lather, when she felt a hand on her arm.

"Do not do this to yourself, daughter. It does no good. Mistakes were made, but steps have been taken to correct the problems." Lady Ako released her arm as Shar took a deep calming breath. "Although I would like to know how Harry came to be in that place. The Dursley's were never very clear on the subject." She looked at the head of the DMLE expectantly.

Amelia took a deep breath then said, "Albus Dumbledore. He is the headmaster of Hogwarts." She could see the anger flash across Shar's face - "He is also head of our governmental congress, the Wizengamot. He… He put Harry there. When Sirius was released, he immediately began looking for him, and as Harry's godfather he was able to pursue the matter as the presumed legal guardian. According to our laws he was the only person that could do so as Harry is the last surviving Potter, his father's family had all passed by that time, Lily has no other surviving family, so without the will guardianship passed first to remaining family."

Sirius spoke up. "Lily loved her sister, but did not agree with some of her choices. One of those choices was when she married Vernon. Lily despised the man, she always said he was the worst kind of person, angry, vindictive, and outright mean. She was afraid that Petunia would not be able to stand up to him, or leave if it came to that." He shrugged. "Seems she was right about that."

Shar was incensed. "So this Dumbledore person is a high powered government official, and headmaster of a school?" They nodded.

Amelia replied, "He is also the head of the International Wizards Council, a cooperative union between European nations."

Shar shook her head. "Ok, that is just stupid. Who does this guy think he is? Superman? Unbelievable! He has all of those responsibilities and was entrusted with the placement of a child? Does your 'world' even have something like Child Protective Services?"

Amelia looked confused. "What is that?"

Shar's anger jumped by a rank, and she growled. "It's a joint department within the law enforcement and social work departments, they specialize in situations dealing with children. Abuse. Neglect. Orphans. Anything that could damage the development of a child. In this situation, they would have visited the home on a regular but unannounced schedule to hopefully keep something like this from happening!" Lady Ako's hand returned to her daughter's arm.

Lady Ako then addressed Amelia. "My daughter is most protective of Harry. I imagine she is also wondering if there are other situations out in your community that are similar."

Amelia stopped walking. 'Could there be?' she questioned herself. "I don't….I don't know. After the war… there were orphans…" Tears filled her eyes as she thought, 'that could have happened to Susan… He is the hero of our world and it happened to him… How many have suffered so?'

Lady Ako nodded. "Something for you to look into I'm sure."

Amelia parroted back, still lost in thought. "I'm sure." She shook herself, thinking, 'definitely!'

They stopped at a set of wrought iron gates. "These are the gates to the grounds, the castle is up there," Remus said pointing. "I'm sorry you can only see ruins, but the muggle-repelling charms won't allow anyone non-magical to see it till we are inside the wards themselves. I also feel I should warn you it will be very uncomfortable for you to enter the grounds. Not painful mind but you will feel badly disoriented and wish to be anyplace but here."

Shar looked at her mother and raised a single eyebrow, they had assumed they were non-magical. What a laugh! It was amazing the amount of hubris in these people! She shrugged after getting no response from her mother, and then looked over the _'school'_ they thought so highly of.

The wards were quite strong, and some of them were incredibly old. Probably as old as the castle, but they were also brittle. Tannim or she would make quick work of them, and as for Keighvin and his people… She didn't think they would even slow them down.

They stood at the gate a few moments till a man standing over seven feet with long unkempt black hair and a beard to match arrived at the gate. "Hi ya there, Mr. Black, Professor Lupin, Madam Bones. It's good to see ya."

"Hagrid, I am not a professor here anymore," said the werewolf. "You can go back to calling me Remus. Ladies this is Rubeus Hagrid; he is the Gamekeeper, and Keeper of the Keys here at Hogwarts. Hagrid this is Lady Ako, and her daughter Shar."

"Pleased to be meetin ya." said the giant of a man. "Dumbledore will be right down, he's the only one that can lead a muggle through the wards. I'm sorry you'll haf ter wait on him, he's a busy man."

"I'm sure he will not keep us waiting long," said Amelia, looking more than a little embarrassed by his absence.

Lady Ako lifted her bag, and rummaged inside. "I think while we wait we should talk about another piece of business. Mr. Silverhair, the owner of Fairgrove, prepared an invoice for Harry's Mustang. This," she said, handing a copy of the first page, "is the actual cost of the vehicle. It has been converted to British Pounds Sterling a total of 439,194 pounds; additional racing setup and preparations were 35,561 pounds, for a total of 474,755. This does not include the cost of Harry's lost days of training, that will be fully assessed and an invoice sent once we are home. It does include, however, the cost of the purchased practice track time. As you are the head of law enforcement, I expect that this will be needed for the report on the willful destruction of property. Mr. Silverhair has also requested contact information be sent to him as soon as possible so his lawyers can begin proceedings if necessary."

Amelia took the pages then looked at Remus, as the ends of his lips curled into a small smile. "It's around 95,000 Galleons."

"95-" Her eyes widened. "For a muggle vehicle?"

Shar spoke then. "A highly specialized vehicle, one built specifically for Harry. Racing is big business, a lot of those parts are built to order. That Mustang was brand new and it will take months for another to be made, it also had one of the five new aluminum engines. If Keighvin even suspects that technology has made it to a competitor… well let me put it like this, he expects those engines to make Fairgrove millions. Enough to more than justify the investment in a couple of vehicles and the teams to go with them."

Amelia's mind was racing, it would take her over twenty years to pay that if she gave them her entire salary! The Bones family, while they weren't one of the richest families, were well off, but even if she sold half the family's holdings she could only just cover it… Oh , Albus… what have you done? "Will Mr. Silverhair be looking for full restitution? It _was_ damaged."

Lady Ako nodded slightly. "He will, any damage the vehicle may or may not have sustained is immaterial. As the vehicle was destroyed by Mr. Dumbledore, without any proper identification or assessment of said damage. It was his decision to destroy the vehicle in his care, therefore his responsibility. If he or the school has some form of insurance that will cover the loss, Mr. Silverhair will need all information necessary and the contact information. Mr. Silverhair also requests copies of the incident report Harry filed with your department, for his records."

Sirius looked at her stunned. "You're a solicitor?"

Lady Ako's face remained neutral. "I am licensed to practice law, but my specialty is in international and standard contract law, negotiation and arbitration. I am doing this as a courtesy to Mr. Silverhair, as I was on my way here at Harry's request."

Sirius now thought he understood the situation. "So you work for Harry.'

Lady Ako's eyes narrowed. "No, he is my most able student."

Amelia turned the pages quickly. "I- I will need to see how to go about doing this. Normally a replacement would be purchased and the owner's memory modified to accept the changes if magic could not repair the damage, to protect us under the Statutes of Secrecy."

Shar's eyes narrowed at the statement 'memories modified'. Did they even realize the damage they could do? Never mind actual injury, but missing time, information, and any of a number of things that could go wrong!

"I will have an answer before you return home." Amelia tucked the papers away, as they heard someone walking down the gravel path.

They all turned to face the gate as a man with a long white beard, and dressed in purple robes covered with gold stars approached. "Good morning to you all, I am sorry to keep you waiting, but alas such is the life of a dedicated headmaster." He looked over his half moon glasses at the group, his eyes settled on the two newcomers. "You must be the people young Harry is so anxious to see."

Shar clenched her left fist, at war with her emotions. Her mother's hand had found its way back to her arm. "I am The Lady Ako. This is my daughter, Shar. Please show us the way to my student."

Dumbledore stepped forward, and extended his hand. Shar stepped in front of her mother, and took his hand in hers. "Can we get on with this, we wish to see Harry as soon as possible. We have a long way to go yet today." She reached behind her and clasped hands with her mother.

Dumbledore's eyes widened, the woman's grip was threatening to break his hand. He winced, but continued. "Yes I am sure that you do. Shall we then?" He turned and led the way, his hand still grasped firmly, onto the grounds.

Once they traveled a few feet Albus released Shar's hand. "We are now within the Castle grounds proper, please do not wander far from the castle as once you are outside the wards you will lose your bearings quickly. Also please be aware that the forest can be quite dangerous, hence its name the Forbidden Forest, it is home to more than a few magical animals."

Shar looked at him like he had lost his senses. "You mean to tell me that within a few feet of a _SCHOOL_ you have a forest that is full of dangerous animals? Are you insane? Couldn't you move the animals? At least put up a fence!"

Dumbledore smiled, "I assure you, it is perfectly safe as long as you do not wander into the woods. The creatures inside the forest rarely wander outside its protection, and Hagrid is an excellent Gamekeeper."

He turned his attention to Lady Ako. "You said that young Harry is your student? So you are a teacher? What is he studying with you?"

"He is my student," she replied, "I am his sensei. I teach him many things including. Contract law, Negotiation, Public Relations, Advertising, Personal Finance, Corporate Finance, Tax law, other things as well. He needs an understanding in a broad range of subjects otherwise he will always be at the mercy of others wanting to control his future."

She reached into her case again. "Mr. Silverhair asked me to bring these to you," she said handing him the same documents. "This is your responsibility, after _your_ destruction of his vehicle. He asks that you please make arrangements for prompt compensation, otherwise he will seek legal recourse, and he will also then be asking for the recovery of any legal fees he has accrued."

Dumbledore almost lost his temper at the cool demeanor of the woman, how dare this… Silverhair! He now realized what he had done may have been hasty, and had upset the boy, but it was just some muggle vehicle! It couldn't be worth all this much! He looked at the now partially crumpled page in his hand, and absently rubbed his left arm.

The group had kept walking up the hill, even after Albus had stopped in his tracks, his eyes glued to the papers in his hand. Sirius clapped him on the shoulder as they walked past with a "Good show, Albus. I'm sure you will work something out with Harry's employer." He knew this pulled the noose tighter, especially if he was going to try and salvage any form of relationship with Harry. Even it was only so Harry was not openly hostile toward him.

* * *

They crossed into the castle courtyard, and were greeted with a voice, "Finally!" Harry jumped down off the low wall he had been sitting on and walked quickly to meet them.

He bowed deeply to Lady Ako, and spoke in fluent Japanese._ "Sensei! I hope this morning finds you well. My apologies for missing our appointment, I was unavoidably detained."_ He straightened. "_I also apologize for asking you to travel here, I know you are a busy woman."_ He bowed again.

"_You are excused for missing your lessons, as the situation was quite out of your control_," she answered in her native language.

As he straightened he felt Shar wrap her arms around him, as she gathered him into a hug. "Not a word for me?" she said loosening her grip for a moment to look at him. "You're not hurt?" He shook his head. "Good!" She pulled him in again and he let himself settle into her arms. He was going to relish this for the moment, because he knew once he told her about the tournament… As Luna had so aptly put it, it would be unpleasant.

Her temper was one thing both he and Tannim avoided, and if they did earn her ire they took their lumps like men and got it over with. As for this mess, it was not his fault! So he refused to take the blame! He was determined to move the target to those that so richly deserved it, Doumbledip and his merry band of idiots, the Tri-Wizard Judges.

Harry smiled at her, "I hope that bag is for me, I've been in this suit for two days. It may have been cleaned but…" He trailed off as Shar shrugged off the bag and handed it to him.

"Yes, I figured you'd want out of that," she said.

Harry grabbed the bag and began leading the group inside. "We'll meet you in the Great Hall for lunch," Harry said. "I need a quick shower, and a little time to speak with The Lady Ako and Shar in private." He looked at Amelia, "I hope you will join us for lunch Amelia, you and Sue both."

She nodded. "Of course."

* * *

The walk upstairs was going quickly when he heard a raised voice that included his name. "-think you were doing near Harry Potter? You that couldn't hack it in Gryffindor! How dare you think you are good enough to even talk to him?"

Harry spun on his heel, and thrust the bag at Shar. "Hold this, please." Then he stormed toward the open door the voice was coming from.

As he entered the room the sight before him made him even angrier. Luna was being held at wand point by a few other girls keeping her away from her best friend, who was lying on the floor being attacked by some form of green-slime-dripping bats. In front of her was a redheaded girl, wand pointed down towards her. "You were right to get out of Gryffindor! You are nothing but a pathetic bookworm! How you were sorted into the house of Lions I'll never know! My brother was right about you! A FRIENDLESS KNOW-IT-ALL FREAK! STAY AWAY FROM HARRY! HE DESERVES SOMEONE BETTER THAN YOU!"

Harry, now standing behind the girl reached forward and snatched the wand from her hand. "And who are you to decide who I can speak with?" The other girls turned to face Harry, he looked down at Hermione to see the green bats were gone. "You OK?"

"I'll live," she said.

"I didn't ask that, are you hurt?"

"A few bruises." She sighed. "That hex is more gross than painful though." She looked at the girl. "What kind of hex makes bats from…bogies then beats you with them?"

Harry couldn't help it, he snorted but kept it under control. "Ok, _that_ is disgusting. You're alright then?"

"I will be, thanks Harry."

He nodded. "You lot," he said toward Luna's captors. "I think that's enough. Luna, you ok?"

She walked to Hermione, and helped her to her feet. "I am well Harry Potter."

He smiled at her. "Then can you please walk with Hermione, up to see Ms. Pomfrey?" Hermione began to protest. "Please go see her, I want to have a... talk with them." He indicated the attackers. "And could you ask one of your teachers to join us?" Luna led Hermione outside.

He turned back to the girls in question. "Who are you all to decide things for me?"

The girls looked sheepish, other than the redhead. "You're a hero! Everyone knows now that you are coming to Hogwarts and you'll be in Gryffindor, the home of the _Brave_! Your bed has been in the same dorm room as my brother's from first year! You don't need a coward like that buck-toothed bookworm around!"

Harry shook his head. "I am _NOT_, a member of this school! I have no interest in coming here, and if I did I would never associate with the likes of you! You are nothing more than bullies! You think that because she gets good grades and works hard she's the loser? She told me about what happened here her first year, and you don't think she is brave? I doubt any of you would set foot in this castle again if that were to happen to you! You need to rethink things!"

He took a deep breath, and looked at the other girls. "_Brave_, what a joke! Three to one odds." He scoffed, "Even worse, you were holding her best friend hostage! Just like any other gang of bullies, you all disgust me."

A female voice, from behind him, continued. "I quite agree, Mr. Potter!" Professor McGonagall entered. "You will all go directly to my office and wait for me there."

The girls other than the redhead fled the room. "Ms. Weasley? What are you waiting for?"

"He has my wand, Professor," she said quietly.

"I will collect your wand, Ms. Weasley. On your way." The girl turned and left.

Harry handed the wand to the professor. "What will their punishment be?"

The Professor smiled softly. "Loss of house points, and a few nights detention, probably helping our caretaker Mr. Filch clean, with no magical help of course, and I will be speaking with their parents as well."

Harry thought about it for a few moments, it was probably fair seeing that this was a boarding school, they couldn't just suspend the students like they would at home.

"Hermione has it tough here," he said.

"Aye, she does," said the professor. "It has been difficult for her here, I was sad to lose her as one of my lions, it was the first re-sorting in over a hundred years. She seems happier now. She is quite brilliant and, I think, will do well after she has completed her NEWTS."

Harry knew better. "I'd better get changed, I don't want to keep people waiting."


End file.
